The Cold War wasn’t just a chess match between superpowers; it was also a theater for a handful of truly sinister groups that thrived on chaos, false‑flag attacks, and the manipulation of public fear. From covert press agencies masquerading as news outlets to shadowy military networks, these organisations plotted behind the scenes to destabilise democracies and tip the balance toward authoritarian rule.

Sinister Groups Behind the Strategy of Tension

11 Propaganda Due

One of the most intriguing pieces of the puzzle is the mysterious Propaganda Due (P2) lodge, uncovered in 1981. This Masonic order boasted three cabinet ministers, 43 parliamentarians, the heads of all three Italian intelligence agencies, 213 senior military officers, and a host of media and business elites. Described by many as a “state within a state,” P2 was accused of subverting the Italian government from within. While it likely didn’t plan the bombings directly, the lodge played a pivotal role in covering them up, shielding right‑wing perpetrators from scrutiny. Its connections to the Bologna bombing have been examined in depth, underscoring how deep the infiltration ran.

10 The OAS

In the early 1960s, a French extremist known as Yves Guillou—or Yves Guerin‑Serac—decamped to Portugal, enamoured of its authoritarian regime and its brutal war in Africa. Having been radicalised during France’s own Algerian conflict, he joined the Organisation de l’Armee Secrete (OAS), a right‑wing Franco‑Algerian paramilitary group that seized control of European enclaves in Algiers and Oran. The OAS launched a wave of terrorist attacks, including multiple attempts on President Charles de Gaulle, and was responsible for at least 2,360 deaths in the 15 months leading up to June 1962. Even after the OAS dissolved, Guerin‑Serac declared, “The others have laid down their weapons, but not I,” vowing to expand the fight beyond Portugal to a planetary scale.

9 Aginter Press

In Portugal, Guerin‑Serac founded Aginter Press, ostensibly a news wire service akin to Reuters. In reality, it was a fascist paramilitary outfit dedicated to battling communism worldwide. The group despised democracy, deeming it weak, and championed false‑flag operations as a means to sabotage left‑wing movements and empower the extreme right. An internal manifesto summed up its doctrine: the first phase would create chaos, then dismantle democratic structures under the guise of communist activity, with operatives infiltrating leftist groups to make the attacks appear as their work.

8 Ordre Et Tradition

Backed by Portugal’s secret police (PIDE) and funded in part by the CIA, Aginter Press expanded its reach across Europe and southern Africa. By the late 1960s, its private spy network rivalled the intelligence service of a medium‑sized nation. The agency recruited right‑wing mercenaries for colonial wars, ran training camps on counter‑insurgency, bomb‑making, assassination, and propaganda, and was linked—though contentiously—to the assassinations of African freedom fighters Eduardo Mondlane and Amilcar Cabral, as well as Portuguese General Humberto Delgado. After 1969, Aginter shifted focus to Europe, establishing the subsidiary Ordre Et Tradition, which could lobby politically without exposing the press‑agency cover. Within this front, a covert cell called the Army Organization Against International Communism (OACI) specialised in provocation and infiltration.

7 Organization Armee Contre Le Communisme International

The OACI was envisioned as a global paramilitary force. Its operatives appeared in Cold War hotspots, such as the United States‑trained Jay Sablonsky, who later led anti‑communist death squads in Guatemala. In Italy, the OACI gained notoriety by offering courses on bomb‑making, sabotage, and covert operations to members of the extreme right. Its doctrine rationalised terrorism as a tool to break resistance, force submission, and create a rift between the populace and the authorities. It distinguished between “selective terrorism” (targeting political cadres) and “blind terrorism” (sowing chaos among the masses). Many Italian right‑wing terrorists, including Stefano delle Chiaie, were OACI alumni, linking the organization directly to the later Years of Lead.

6 Ordine Nuovo

April 1969 saw two bombs explode in crowded Milan streets, injuring dozens but sparing lives. August brought simultaneous bombings on ten trains, again with no fatalities. The December Piazza Fontana blast, however, killed 17 and wounded 90, followed by three more bombs in Rome. Initial suspicion fell on left‑wing anarchists, with the police arresting railway worker Giuseppe Pinelli, who allegedly committed suicide by leaping from a police‑station window—a claim later disproved by autopsy.

As investigations progressed, evidence pointed to the far‑right Ordine Nuovo (ON), founded by journalist‑turned‑terrorist Pino Rauti, a former Aginter Press collaborator. In 1986, Guido Giannettini—co‑founder of the OACI—was convicted of planning the Piazza Fontana attack, only to be released on appeal. Subsequent trials convicted ON members Franco Freda and Giovanni Ventura for the 1969 bombings, though they were acquitted of the Piazza Fontana case due to insufficient evidence. Even after multiple convictions and appeals, no one remains incarcerated for the massacre, underscoring the tangled web of impunity surrounding these extremist networks.

5 Avanguardia Nazionale

The Piazza Fontana bombing inaugurated Italy’s “strategy of tension,” a campaign where right‑wing groups carried out terror attacks to discredit communists and anarchists. While leftist militants also engaged in targeted assassinations and kidnappings, the random bombings of civilians amplified public anxiety. Magistrate Guido Salvini testified that links existed between Aginter Press, Ordine Nuovo, and Avanguardia Nazionale. Aginter instructors had visited Rome between 1967 and 1968, teaching Avanguardia militants how to handle explosives.

Avanguardia Nazionale emerged as an offshoot of Ordine Nuovo, founded by Stefano delle Chiaie—considered too radical even for Rauti. Delle Chiaie openly admitted that the group acted against communists, the bourgeois state, and democracy itself, justifying violence as a necessary tool. He also claimed co‑founding Aginter Press alongside his French friend Guerin‑Serac, reinforcing the network’s tight interconnections.

4 La Rosa Dei Venti

Within the far‑right, a rift emerged over ultimate goals. Moderates sought a stronger presidency and the suppression of the Communist Party, while radicals dreamed of restoring Fascism. In 1970, a coup plot involving Stefano delle Chiaie aimed to install Prince Valerio Borghese—a former Mussolini‑era military commander known as “the Black Prince”—as dictator. The plan called for a televised proclamation declaring the demise of the existing political order, followed by the occupation of government buildings and RAI TV studios. The coup was aborted at the last minute for reasons that remain murky, ranging from internal doubts to alleged interventions by Richard Nixon or a Soviet fleet in the Mediterranean.

The failed putsch sparked an investigation into the Rosa dei Venti (“Compass Rose”), a coalition of extremist groups that had backed Borghese. In 1974, a magistrate ordered the arrest of General Vito Miceli, head of Italy’s SID spy agency, after evidence surfaced that he was a key member of the Rosa dei Venti.

3 SID

The Italian intelligence service SID proved to be one of the most shocking components of the strategy of tension. High‑ranking officers maintained close ties to extremist right‑wing groups and repeatedly obstructed investigations. For instance, SID helped OACI co‑founder Guido Giannettini flee Italy after the Piazza Fontana bombing suspicion fell on him, and it assisted Giovanni Ventura in evading prison.

In 1980, police raided the apartment of General Gianadelio Maletti, Miceli’s successor, uncovering a 1975 file that referenced an Ordine Nuovo member (Casalini) who intended to confess involvement in the 1969 attacks. The file instructed police to shut the case down before further testimony could be taken. Another example: after Vincenzo Vinciguerra’s 1972 car bomb killed three officers, senior intelligence officers fabricated anonymous confessions implicating the far‑left Lotta Continua. Five officers were later charged with obstruction of justice. Similarly, when Gianfranco Bertoli threw a grenade at a ceremony honoring police commander Luigi Calabrese, SID produced a report labeling Bertoli an anarchist—only to discover he had been indoctrinated by Ordine Nuovo, which had orchestrated the attack.

2 Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari

By the mid‑1970s, the political landscape grew hostile for the remaining extremists. Portugal’s dictatorship fell in 1974, prompting Guerin‑Serac and his Aginter operatives to seek refuge in Franco’s Spain, where they conducted false‑flag bombings of Algerian embassies to tarnish the Algerian opposition. Stefano delle Chiaie also fled to Spain, participating in the massacre of left‑wing protestors.

Franco’s death in 1975 and the subsequent collapse of his regime stripped the last European sanctuary from Aginter’s remnants. While Guerin‑Serac seemingly vanished—perhaps heading to South America—delle Chiaie resurfaced in Chile, establishing a press agency modeled on Aginter, and later in Bolivia, allegedly working as an assassin for Nazi fugitive Klaus Barbie. Together they helped execute the 1980 “Cocaine Coup” that briefly overthrew Bolivia’s government.

In Italy, a new right‑wing group called Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari (NAR) continued the strategy of tension. In 1980, NAR detonated a time bomb at Bologna’s Central Station, killing 85 and wounding hundreds—the deadliest right‑wing attack of the Years of Lead.

1 Gladio

After World II, the United States feared a Soviet invasion of Western Europe and, in the late 1940s, NATO established “stay‑behind” networks across the continent. In Italy, this plan materialised as Operation Gladio. Intended as a contingency force against a possible Soviet assault, Gladio supplied money and weapons to clandestine operatives.

However, the network quickly shifted focus. The CIA recruited anticommunist fanatics—including fascists—who redirected resources toward combating perceived Soviet infiltration within Italy. Weapons and explosives meant for Gladio fell into the hands of groups like Ordine Nuovo, intertwining the secret army with the country’s strategy of tension.

The first public mention of Gladio in Italy surfaced during Vincenzo Vinciguerra’s 1984 trial, when he testified about an occult structure capable of directing outrages and a secret force parallel to the armed forces, composed of civilians and military men ready to resist a Russian army. The exact role of the CIA remains contentious. Swiss historian Daniele Ganser argued that the agency was pivotal to the tension strategy, though his work faced criticism for relying on forged Soviet documents. Italian historian Aldo Giannuli countered, highlighting a parallel organisation—the Nuclei for the Defense of the State—directed by the Italian army, which eventually focused on internal communist threats, leaving Gladio to concentrate on external Soviet dangers. The true extent of American involvement in Italy’s Years of Lead remains a matter of heated debate.

When you think of the Holocaust, you probably recall the overwhelming horror already documented in countless histories. Yet there are still many sinister things the Nazis inflicted on camp inmates that rarely make the headlines. Below we dive into nine chilling practices that reveal just how far the regime pushed cruelty.

Sinister Things Exposed

9 Sonderkommanden

Simply put, a Sonderkommando was a prisoner forced to deal with the dead. Their grisly duties included extracting gold teeth from corpses and sweeping away the ashes left behind. Because they weren’t Nazis, they were ordinary inmates.

Their misery deepened because they were labeled “Geheimnisträger” (secret‑keepers), making them too dangerous to keep alive for long. They were routinely murdered and replaced every few months without warning, often having to dispose of the very person they were replacing.

8 The Trains

Moving thousands of people to the camps required a massive, horrifyingly efficient transport system. Although a single carriage was meant to hold about 50 passengers, it was not uncommon to cram more than 200 into one car.

Travelers received no food, water, or shelter from the elements, and many perished en route. One train that left Corfu took 18 days to arrive, and when the doors opened, every passenger inside had already died.

7 The Trains (Again)

How could the Nazis make the death trains even more dreadful? By charging victims for their passage. To reach an extermination camp, a Jewish person had to purchase a standard‑fare ticket.

Children under four were the only exception—the Nazis waived the fee for them, but everyone else paid for the privilege of being shipped to their doom.

6 The Music

The Nazis turned music into a weapon of psychological torture. Upon arrival, a prisoner‑made orchestra would blare upbeat tunes that inmates were forced to sing and march to as they headed toward death.

The orchestra kept playing even as gas chambers operated, though no amount of music could drown out the victims’ screams. Survivors carried the guilt of this twisted soundtrack for decades.

5 Human Soap

It was a widely spread myth that Nazis forced Jews to use soap made from the fat of Holocaust victims. No conclusive evidence ever proved the claim, yet the Nazis spread the story to break prisoners’ spirits.

In reality, the regime did experiment with making soap from human remains, but it was rarely, if ever, used on inmates.

4 Starvation And Dark Cells

Not every victim received a quick death; many were forced to stand in rooms without food or water until they died. Block 13 of Auschwitz became infamous for this method, and anyone who survived starvation was later killed another way.

Even worse were the “dark cells” – sealed chambers with no light, where occupants slowly suffocated as the limited oxygen was used up.

3 Lack Of Food

Daily rations for prisoners were pitiful: bread made from sawdust, sausage from emaciated horses, and tea brewed from weeds. Hunger drove inmates to steal food from the dead, and in extreme cases, some resorted to eating rotted garbage.

2 Lack Of Water

Among the many experiments, Dr. Hans Eppinger forced about 90 Gypsy inmates to drink only seawater to observe its effects. The result was severe dehydration; prisoners even licked freshly mopped floors for a single drop of fresh water.

1 The Experiments

The full scope of Nazi cruelty may never be known because many records were destroyed. Nonetheless, human experimentation was not only common—it was encouraged.

Prisoners were submerged in ice water to test hypothermia, injected with chemicals and poisons, sterilized, vivisected, and operated on without anesthesia. This list merely scratches the surface of their atrocities.

Recent sightings of strange and sinister clowns have been popping up across the United States, the United Kingdom and even Spain, often under the cover of night. From black balloons to weapons, these eerie pranksters have sparked fear and fascination alike.

Recent Sightings of Sinister Clowns Across America and Europe

10 ‘Gags’ Wanders Green Bay, Wisconsin, With Black Balloons

Locals in Green Bay gave this midnight wanderer the nickname “Gags.” The clown first strutted through town in the early hours of August 1, 2016, and the sighting was logged by radio station WBAY. Apart from his unsettling makeup and battered jumpsuit, Gags clutched a bunch of ominous black balloons.

Speculation swirled that a local filmmaker was behind the stunt for a short horror piece. The eerie photos quickly went viral on Facebook, racking up over 50,000 likes as the legend of Gags grew.

9 South Carolina Clowns Trying To Lure Children

In August 2016, Greenville residents received a stark warning: report any clown sighting to police immediately. Witnesses described clowns with luminous noses and oversized shoes prowling the streets, allegedly trying to coax kids into nearby woods.

Other reports placed these wicked‑looking figures near basketball courts and under streetlights, sometimes brandishing cash and even lasers. Greenville County Sheriff’s Ryan Flood stressed the seriousness of the alerts, prompting increased patrols despite a lack of concrete evidence.

8 North Carolina

A week after the South Carolina warning, similar sightings emerged across the North Carolina border, dubbed the “Tar Heel” sightings. They clustered around Greensboro and Winston‑Salem.

The first encounter involved a clown with red curly hair and a yellow‑dotted shirt sprinting from the woods near an apartment complex. A brave witness chased it back with a machete, prompting authorities to advise prank‑enthusiasts to steer clear of clown garb.

7 Clowns Brandishing Weapons In Bakersfield, California

In 2014, Bakersfield police fielded reports of clowns roaming the city armed with machetes or baseball bats. Officer Joe Grubbs noted the sightings preyed on the innate fear of clowns.

Twenty sightings flooded the town in a single week. The only “clown” nabbed was a 14‑year‑old boy chasing younger children while dressed as a clown. He claimed it was a prank he’d seen online; police released him but warned against such dangerous masquerades.

6 Clown Issues Online Threat To Abduct Children From Schools In Georgia

September 2016 brought a chilling report from LaGrange, Georgia: clowns were approaching children and one even posted an online threat to kidnap students.

The threat surfaced on a Facebook page promising a clown‑disguised driver would target five local schools in a white van. While the perpetrator remains unidentified, LaGrange police said they would prosecute anyone caught if it served the public interest.

5 Copycat Clown Appearances In The San Joaquin Valley, California

October 2014 saw a wave of crimes in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and witnesses reported perpetrators dressed as clowns. Their looks kept changing, but the “evil” vibe stayed constant.

An anonymous caller claimed the sightings were part of a photography project he and his wife were doing. He didn’t intend to frighten anyone, but locals apparently took the idea and spawned a wave of copycat clown appearances.

4 Tabloid Newspaper Unmasks Creepy Clown In Northampton, UK

On September 13, 2013, a mysterious clown began haunting Northampton, UK. The specter quickly went global, with TV crews from the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and India covering the phenomenon.

Eyewitnesses likened him to Stephen King’s Pennywise, noting his balloons, slow wave and occasional “Beep! Beep!” chant. The Daily Mirror traced the prankster to student filmmaker Alex Powell, who was caught emerging from his home in full clown attire.

3 Clown On I192, Kentucky

Mid‑September 2016, Jamie Hill posted a photo of a figure near the Hal Rogers Parkway in London, Kentucky. She hadn’t intended to share it publicly, but when others confirmed the sighting, the image went viral.

Laurel County Sheriff’s office received no formal complaints, yet they remain poised to act after neighboring counties reported three suspicious clown‑costumed individuals.

2 Vigilante Groups Respond To Evil Clown Pranksters Throughout France

Late 2014 saw France gripped by a wave of “evil” clowns, many brandishing pistols, baseball bats or knives. One woman claimed a clown attacked her with a fake axe, while others reported robberies by masked assailants.

Authorities treated the incidents with deadly seriousness, arresting several suspects. A 19‑year‑old received a six‑month suspended sentence for dressing as a clown and threatening the public.

1 Gijonclown

After the French frenzy, Spain’s coastal city of Gijón introduced its own eerie jester: “Gijonclown.” The figure maintains an Instagram account with over 5,000 followers.

He appears in the early hours, never speaking or wielding weapons, but locals describe his demeanor as “sinister.” Unlike the French incidents, Gijonclown seems content with the spotlight alone.

One of his posts reads, “Scared of clowns? But we are the most friendly, nice and sociable people you’ll ever meet. You’ll find us at night.”

Further Reading

If you suffer from coulrophobia, you might want to skip these fascinating articles from our archives:

• Top 10 Clowns You Don’t Want To Mess With
• 10 Bizarre Facts About Clowns
• 10 Creepy Tales About Clowns
• 10 Most Horrific Circus Accidents In History

Marcus Lowth writes for Me Time For The Mind. Follow him on social media for more spooky stories.

When you swipe through glossy feeds, you expect avocado toast and flawless selfies. Yet beneath that polished veneer lurks a shadowy realm that most users never see. In this deep‑dive we uncover 9 sinister facts about Instagram’s darker side, ranging from illicit skull trades to toxic lakes masquerading as vacation spots. Buckle up – the platform’s glittering façade hides some truly unsettling practices.

9 The Human Skull Market

In recent years a niche community of collectors has blossomed online, devoting itself to the trade of human remains. Since eBay outlawed the sale of body parts in 2016, Instagram has become the primary marketplace for buying and selling skulls. One of the most prominent figures, Henry Scragg, boasts over 33,000 followers and routinely moves artifacts that can fetch as much as £16,000 (about $20,000) each.

Unlike other black‑market goods—such as weapons or stolen relics—the exchange of human bones largely sidesteps legal scrutiny thanks to the “no property rule,” which strips the remains of conventional ownership. Although a handful of U.S. states impose restrictions, enforcement is sporadic, allowing traders to operate with relative impunity.

Proponents argue they belong to a respectful, albeit macabre, community. Critics, however, warn of lingering colonialist undertones and accuse some sellers of falsely embellishing skulls with “tribal” motifs to boost appeal, sparking ethical concerns among historians and archaeologists.

8 Baby Adoption Scammers

Facing lengthy waiting lists at traditional agencies, an increasing number of hopeful U.S. parents turn to Instagram in search of a baby. While many succeed, a darker trend has emerged: scammers posing as pregnant women to lure couples into emotional traps. These imposters never ask for money, but they do demand time, emotional investment, and endless conversations, ultimately vanishing and leaving would‑be parents devastated.

The BBC highlighted the heartbreaking case of Samantha and Dave Stewart from Michigan, who discovered their presumed pregnant teenager was a fabricated account. Samantha posted, “They don’t ask for money. They don’t ask for material things… They want your time, emotional investment and someone to talk to while promising you your future child.”

Because victims are primarily defrauded emotionally rather than financially, most U.S. jurisdictions lack the legal authority to prosecute these fraudsters, leaving a regulatory gap that enables the scam to persist.

7 Exploitation of Grief

On July 13, 2019, 17‑year‑old Bianca Devins traveled to a concert in New York, only to be brutally murdered by 21‑year‑old Brandon Clark. Within hours, graphic images of Devins’ bloodied body surfaced on Instagram, posted directly from Clark’s account, including a torso shot captioned, “I’m sorry Bianca,” and a selfie of Clark lying on a tarpaulin covering the corpse.

Instagram took several hours to remove the disturbing content, by which point the images had been reshared hundreds of times. Some opportunistic users capitalized on the tragedy, posting pleas like “FOLLOW ME!!! & DM !! me for full video and picture” to boost follower counts. Others edited the graphic material into vile memes, further exploiting the grieving family’s pain.

The platform faced fierce criticism for its delayed response and for allowing users to profit from Devins’ death. The incident, occurring months after the Christchurch mosque shootings livestreamed on Facebook, ignited a broader debate about the ethics of content moderation and the responsibilities of social media giants in safeguarding victims’ dignity.

6 Terrorist Propaganda

Instagram has become a fresh conduit for extremist messaging. In 2017, The Times reported over 50,000 accounts with links to ISIL militants, using posts and stories to spread propaganda. As platforms like Facebook and YouTube tightened their policies, terrorist groups migrated to newer venues, including Instagram and Snapchat, to recruit and disseminate content.

The propaganda varies from graphic executions and decapitated “kafirs” to benign‑looking footage of locals repairing roads or harvesting crops. ISIS aims to portray controlled territories as a utopian paradise, a strategy highlighted by journalist Neil Doyle, who noted the group’s intent to “paint areas it controls as paradise on earth.”

This blend of horror and everyday life complicates moderation, as the content can appear innocuous to casual viewers while serving a clear recruitment purpose for extremist audiences.

5 Unattainable Weight Loss Claims

Instagram’s glossy visuals have long fueled body‑image anxiety, especially among young women who compare themselves to airbrushed models. A Mental Health Foundation study found that one in eight adults has contemplated suicide due to body‑image distress.

Capitalising on this vulnerability, a burgeoning market of “miracle” weight‑loss products has taken root on the platform. Celebrity endorsements—from the Kardashians to Cardi B—have amplified the reach of detox teas and slimming lollipops, many of which pose serious mental and physical health risks.

While Instagram is beginning to crack down on these deceptive businesses, the prevalence of body‑image anxiety remains high, leaving advocates for body positivity with a steep uphill battle to protect users from harmful messaging.

4 Black Market Verification Ticks

The coveted blue verification tick on Instagram serves as a badge of authenticity, granting elite accounts higher visibility and exclusive features. This status symbol has spurred a clandestine market where shady operators claim they can sell the tick for up to £12,000 (about $15,000).

Although Instagram insists the checkmark isn’t for sale, the underground trade persists, described as an “open secret” among influencers desperate for credibility. Possessing a blue tick can dramatically boost sponsorship prospects; a Mediakix study notes that advertisers spend over $1 billion annually on Instagram influencers, making the tiny check a powerful lever in the social‑media hierarchy.

Thus, the black‑market tick operates as a high‑stakes commodity, with influencers willing to pay steep sums to secure brand deals and ascend the platform’s pecking order.

3 Toxic Siberian Lake

Novosibirsk’s “Maldives of Siberia” appears on Instagram as a picture‑perfect turquoise oasis, drawing tourists who post yoga poses and beachwear selfies. Yet the sparkling surface conceals a toxic reality: the lake is a waste dump for a nearby power plant, its vivid hue stemming from calcium salts and metal oxides.

Decades of ash deposition have rendered the water highly alkaline, with a thick slurry at the bottom that can trap swimmers. The surrounding air may also carry hazardous chemicals, making the locale far from the idyllic getaway it seems.

Instagram’s promotion of this hazardous site underscores how visual allure can mask environmental danger, luring unsuspecting visitors into a potentially harmful environment.

2 Cyberbullying Gets Out of Hand

Cyberbullying escalated dramatically in a chilling Australian case. Nineteen‑year‑old Yasemin Ercan was called a “dog” on Instagram by an 18‑year‑old former classmate. Fueled by rage, Ercan orchestrated a revenge plot: she met the victim at a Melbourne shopping centre, then, with an accomplice, forced the teen into a car, brandishing a Taser.

The victim endured a 20‑minute drive before Ercan and her partner stopped, assaulted her with the Taser, and even threatened to stab, shoot, and “smash the f——” out of her via threatening messages. Ercan now faces charges including kidnapping, intentional injury, and threats of serious harm, and has been banned from all social‑media platforms.

This harrowing episode illustrates how online insults can spill violently into real‑world aggression, highlighting the urgent need for stronger safeguards against digital harassment.

1 Blackfishing

In recent years, a troubling trend dubbed “blackfishing” has taken hold on Instagram. Predominantly white women adopt aesthetic elements—darkened skin tones, enhanced lips, and permed hair—to appear black or mixed‑race, sometimes even using melanin‑boosting hormones or undergoing cosmetic surgery.

Swedish model Emma Hallberg, who never explicitly claimed black identity yet never denied the portrayal, became a focal point of criticism. Influencers like Hallberg, with sizable followings, often secure lucrative brand deals, prompting activists to accuse them of profiting from a culture they do not belong to.

The phenomenon has earned a harsher moniker, “niggerfishing,” on Black Twitter, a play on “catfishing.” It should not be confused with “trans‑black” identities such as Rachel Dolezal, where individuals genuinely identify as black despite being born white.

These nine unsettling realities reveal how Instagram’s glossy veneer can conceal a spectrum of disturbing practices, from illicit markets to cultural appropriation. Stay vigilant, question what you see, and remember that behind every perfect post could lurk a darker story.

Hillary Clinton is arguably the most recognizable figure on the planet. From her tenure as First Lady, to her time as Senator, Secretary of State, and ultimately the first woman ever nominated by a major party for the presidency, it’s tough to find anyone who hasn’t heard her name. When you spend decades rubbing elbows with the world’s wealthiest and most influential players, it’s almost inevitable that a few shadowy stories will sprout. Below we unpack the ten most talked‑about, and arguably most unsettling, conspiracy theories that have swirled around her over the years.

Top 10 Sinister Overview

10 First Victim

Whether you adore or despise the Clintons, their imprint on American and global history is undeniable. Bill’s economic legacy and Hillary’s historic nomination are just the tip of the iceberg. The Lewinsky scandal, however, remains a defining moment, and some claim it was less of a surprise to Hillary than the public believed. According to Linda Tripp – the White House aide who secretly recorded Monica Lewinsky’s confessions – the whole affair was orchestrated to benefit Hillary. Tripp alleges that Hillary not only knew about the infidelity but also masterminded every scandal that emerged from the Clinton administration, hoping the drama would humanize her and garner sympathy. If that was the game plan, it backfired spectacularly, leaving more damage than the original misstep.

9 Chelsea’s Father

Monica Lewinsky isn’t the only name linked to Bill’s alleged affairs, but she’s the most publicized. While Bill’s infidelities dominate headlines, some claim Hillary herself strayed. Donald Trump and Roger Stone have floated the idea that Hillary slept with two men – Vince Foster and Web Hubbel. Though Foster’s name rings louder, Hubbel is the centerpiece of the theory that he, not Bill, fathered Chelsea. Proponents point to Chelsea’s subtle resemblance to Hubbel, his stint at Hillary’s law firm, and a cryptic reference in one of her books. The theory, however, suffers from the same logical contradictions that plague David Icke’s moon‑hologram claims – believers often hold mutually exclusive ideas at once.

8 Hillary the Lesbian

The rumor that Hillary is gay dates back to her days as Arkansas’s First Lady. In the 1980s, an ambitious woman’s sexuality was often seen as a career‑killing secret, especially in a conservative state. Detractors point to the couple’s single child as “proof” of a sham marriage, and cite Bill’s numerous extramarital escapades as evidence of an open‑marriage arrangement. Gennifer Flowers claims Bill told her Hillary is bisexual and has “eaten more pussy” than him, while Dolly Kyle alleges Bill confided that Hillary wanted a baby to mask her “lifestyle” and convince the public of a “real couple.” When pressed on Howard Stern’s show, Hillary responded she’d “never even been tempted.”

7 Hillary 2.0

If you think 2008 and 2012 were packed with political fireworks, you’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. Birtherism, McCain’s accidental shooting, and Perry’s slip‑ups were memorable, but 2016 brought a new level of drama. One of the most discussed moments was Hillary’s fainting at the 9/11 memorial. Critics seized on it as evidence she was unfit for the presidency. Yet, when she reappeared hours later, another theory emerged: the woman onstage wasn’t the real Hillary. Believers argue that her health issues forced her to employ a body double for public appearances. They compare photos from that day to other images, highlighting differences in her nose, cheekbones, neck, and stomach, suggesting two distinct individuals. A well‑known impersonator even tweeted that the Clinton seen in New York was actually on the West Coast, fueling the double narrative.

6 Unhealthy Hillary

The fainting episode, said to stem from pneumonia, is just one chapter in a saga of health‑related speculation. In 2012, Hillary suffered a concussion; some theorists argued it was fabricated to dodge the Benghazi hearings, while others claimed the injury was genuine and rendered her unfit for office. A 2013 blood clot added fuel to the fire, prompting rumors of neurological damage and even Parkinson’s disease. A leaked email mentioning Provigil – a medication often prescribed for fatigue and sometimes associated with Parkinson’s – seemed to support the claim, though the drug is also used by presidents (Barack Obama famously took it). Hillary’s decision to release her full medical records, a first for any presidential nominee, has done little to quell the speculation, leaving the theory as shaky as her fainting moment.

5 The Clinton Plant

While many Clinton‑related theories share common threads – sexual intrigue, health scares, or power grabs – one stands out for its sheer audacity: the claim that Donald Trump was a Clinton plant. The idea hinges on the long‑standing friendship between the Trumps and the Clintons, dating back to Trump’s wedding and his donations to the Clinton Foundation. The smoking gun, according to a Washington Post report, is a phone call Bill Clinton made to Trump roughly a month before Trump entered the 2016 race. Four Trump insiders and a Clinton associate confirmed that Bill encouraged Trump’s deeper GOP involvement. Conspiracy believers assert that the Clintons nudged Trump to run a campaign so disastrous it would cripple the Republican Party, paving the way for a Democratic victory. Ironically, the plan backfired – Trump won the nomination, forcing Hillary to miss out on the White House and thrusting Trump into a role he allegedly never wanted.

4 The Impeachment Plan

Some might think a grand, multi‑year scheme would be too elaborate to fail, but true conspiracy enthusiasts aren’t easily deterred by logic. The theory posits that Hillary’s ultimate objective wasn’t merely to win 2016, but to engineer a scenario that would force an impeachment of Donald Trump. The logic goes: Trump’s chaotic presidency would split the GOP, push it toward the centre, and hand Democrats an easy ride. Supposedly, Hillary colluded with Russian operatives to ensure she lost, then blamed the loss on Trump’s alleged Russian ties. Once the Russia‑Trump scandal exploded, the stage was set for a historic impeachment, potentially clearing the way for Hillary’s return to the White House. Whether she truly orchestrated this elaborate chess move remains a matter of heated debate.

3 The Clinton Body Count

Beyond the whispers about Hillary’s sexuality, the most infamous Clinton conspiracy is the so‑called “Body Count.” It alleges that over fifty individuals linked to the Clintons met untimely, suspicious deaths. It begins with Vince Foster, a close aide found dead from a gunshot wound in 1993. Proponents argue his death was a homicide, meant to silence him or hide an affair. The list then expands to include DNC staffer Seth Rich, who was shot during an alleged robbery in 2016; conspiracists claim he was murdered for leaking emails to WikiLeaks. The theory even stretches to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted pedophile who died by suicide in 2019. Epstein’s connections to Bill Clinton, coupled with oddities like guard round‑the‑clock lapses, conflicting autopsy reports, and a mysteriously erased security tape, have fed speculation that his death was staged to protect the Clintons.

2 The Sinister Sisters

Huma Abedin, Hillary’s right‑hand woman, is more than a seasoned political operative – she’s also the wife of former congressman Anthony Weiner, a man notorious for underage sexting scandals. Some theorists argue Huma’s marriage to Weiner was a political convenience and that she herself is one of Hillary’s alleged lesbian lovers. Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh amplified the claim, noting that Huma’s mother is close friends with Naglaa Mahoud, widow of Egypt’s former president Mohamed Morsi, a figure tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. Limbaugh suggested this connection indicated that Hillary and Huma were agents of a “Muslim Sisterhood,” pushing an Islamist agenda from within the Democratic establishment. Though the theory never gained mainstream traction, it remains a curious footnote in the larger tapestry of Clinton‑related conspiracies.

1 Secret Police

The most notorious “conspiracy” that turned out to have a grain of truth involves the infamous “vast right‑wing conspiracy” surrounding Bill’s alleged affair with a White House intern. While Hillary faced criticism for attempting to discredit the women accusing Bill, former adviser Dick Morris claimed the scandal didn’t stop there. He alleged that Hillary assembled a clandestine “secret police” unit designed to intimidate, threaten, and silence anyone daring to expose the Clintons. This covert force supposedly comprised private investigators, opposition researchers, and operatives embedded within agencies like the FBI, CIA, and IRS. Their mission: to dig up compromising material on Clinton critics before any reputational damage could occur. Despite the sensational claims, the alleged secret police never seemed to achieve its intended impact.

About The Author: You can follow Simon on Twitter here.

Until recently, wars were fought with boots on the ground, jets in the sky, and ships on the seas. Today, the battlefield has shifted into the digital ether, where bits and bytes become weapons. This is the top 10 sinister look at how cyber‑space is being turned into a lethal arena, from AI‑powered missiles to ransomware that can shut down life‑saving hospitals.

Why the Top 10 Sinister Facts Matter

Understanding these chilling realities helps governments, businesses, and everyday users see the hidden dangers lurking behind every login screen. Knowledge is the first line of defense against a world where a single line of code can topple nations.

10 US Government Encouraged To Invest In AI Weapons

In modern combat, split‑second decisions can mean the difference between victory and catastrophe. The National Security Commission on AI argues that if military leaders want to stay ahead, they must field AI‑driven weapons that can think and act faster than any human commander.

The commission’s 2021 report urged Washington to pour resources into algorithmic armaments, citing members such as former Google chief Eric Schmidt and future Amazon boss Andy Jassy as champions of the cause.

Historically, the United States has emphasized hardware—tanks, aircraft, vessels—but experts warn that without a technological edge, America could fall behind rivals like China and Russia, both of which are racing to perfect autonomous weaponry.

Critics, however, warn that this path leads straight into an AI arms race. Professor Noel Sharkey of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots called the report “shocking and frightening,” cautioning that it could unleash machines that decide who lives and who dies without human oversight.

9 Stuxnet, The Digital Weapon That Paralyzed Iran

In the summer of 2010, Iranian IT staff were baffled as their computers crashed, rebooted, and behaved erratically. A Belarusian security firm eventually uncovered a stealthy piece of malware hidden deep within the systems.

This malicious code, known as Stuxnet, was the world’s first digital weapon capable of causing physical damage. Unlike typical viruses that only corrupt data, Stuxnet infiltrated industrial control systems, making centrifuges spin out of control and literally destroying hardware.Widely believed to be a joint US‑Israeli operation, Stuxnet struck Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility in 2009, sabotaging nearly a thousand centrifuges and setting back the nation’s uranium enrichment program for months.

8 Islamic State’s United Cyber Caliphate

Despite being a terrorist organization, ISIS has proved surprisingly savvy in cyberspace. In 2014, its hackers hijacked the Twitter account of U.S. CENTCOM, using it to spread propaganda and issue threats against military personnel.

A year later, the so‑called United Cyber Caliphate boasted of stealing personal data on 2,000 Americans and, later still, claimed to have breached a sensitive government database, leaking the identities, locations, and credit‑card details of roughly 1,500 officials.

7 Ukraine Is A Live‑Fire Space For Russian Cyber Weapons

For years Ukraine has sat squarely in the crosshairs of Russian cyber aggressors. Experts describe the nation as a “live‑fire space” where hackers constantly test new malware and attack vectors against government and legal institutions.

The threat landscape is a mishmash of Kremlin‑backed operatives, organized crime groups, and enthusiastic amateurs, all aiming at Ukrainian ministries, courts, and other critical infrastructure.

Ukraine’s own cybersecurity posture is hampered by widespread pirated software and chronic under‑investment, making it an attractive gateway for attackers seeking to pivot into broader European networks.

Western allies, notably the United States and the European Union, have stepped in with defensive assistance, using the opportunity to monitor Russian tactics and gather valuable intelligence.

6 French Hospitals Vulnerable To Ransomware Attacks

Cyber warfare can bring essential services to their knees. In February 2021, two French hospitals fell prey to ransomware within a single week. Dax Hospital in Landes saw its network crippled, forcing staff to operate at reduced capacity while hackers demanded a ransom before restoring access.

Just days later, the Villefranche‑sur‑Saône complex in Rhône suffered a similar breach, prompting the transfer of patients to other facilities. Fortunately, none of the COVID‑19 patients were directly affected, and a third hospital in Dordogne narrowly avoided infection by pre‑emptively disconnecting its network.

These incidents highlight a growing trend: hospitals across France are increasingly targeted, with eight cities reporting attacks in the past year alone.

5 The Syrian Electronic Army

The Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) thrives on disinformation and digital vandalism. Comprised largely of tech‑savvy supporters of President Bashar al‑Assad, the group frequently hacks news outlets to counter what they deem Western media distortion.Emerging in 2011, SEA first made headlines by spamming the Facebook pages of then‑U.S. President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. In 2013, they sparked market turbulence by tweeting a false claim of an explosion at the White House.

More recently, the SEA has been accused of embedding spyware within coronavirus‑themed mobile apps, further illustrating their willingness to exploit global crises for political gain.

4 WannaCry, The Ransomware Attack That Struck The NHS

In 2017, the WannaCry ransomware outbreak infected over 200,000 computers worldwide, leaving a trail of devastation. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) was hit especially hard, with more than 80 hospital trusts forced to shut down systems.

Hackers demanded a modest $300 (≈£230) in Bitcoin to unlock the encrypted data. The attack resulted in the cancellation of 19,000 appointments and cost the NHS an estimated £92 million (≈$121 million) in lost services and recovery expenses.

Investigations revealed that the NHS had been warned about such vulnerabilities a year prior, yet insufficient security measures left the health system exposed to this costly assault.

3 Hackers Target Microsoft Email Servers

2021 saw an unprecedented assault on Microsoft’s Exchange email servers. The group known as Hafnium, linked to the Chinese government, infiltrated hundreds of thousands of corporate mailboxes using novel techniques that left security experts stunned.

Microsoft disclosed the breach on March 2, 2021, and rushed critical patches. Yet before the updates could be fully deployed, a wave of opportunistic hackers launched secondary attacks, exploiting the same weaknesses across at least ten distinct threat actors.

To date, thousands of servers remain vulnerable, and the motives behind the sustained campaign remain murky, underscoring the rarity and severity of this large‑scale intrusion.

2 The Yemen Cyber Army

Yemen’s protracted civil war has spilled over into cyberspace. In April 2015, the Yemen Cyber Army (YCA) defaced the website of the Saudi‑aligned newspaper Al Hayat, posting a warning to the kingdom for its continued interference.

Within weeks, the YCA breached the Saudi Foreign Ministry’s portal and later leaked nearly a million diplomatic cables via WikiLeaks, exposing communications about extremist financing and even a message from Osama bin Laden’s son requesting his father’s death certificate.

1 Israel’s Alarming Cyber Capabilities

When it comes to cyber warfare, Israel stands apart as a global heavyweight. The nation channels roughly 20 % of all cyber‑security investment into cutting‑edge research and development, cementing its reputation as a digital powerhouse.

Unit 8200, the Israeli Defense Forces’ elite intelligence unit, has spearheaded some of the most sophisticated cyber operations in recent memory. In 2017, Israel Aerospace Industries teamed with U.S. engineers to devise a navigation system resilient to GPS jamming, while 2019 saw a loosening of export restrictions on cyber weapons despite pushback from human‑rights advocates.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summed up the stakes, warning that “today warfare has changed again, dramatically… with the click of a button, you can bring down nations to their knees.”

Over the last few years, OnlyFans has exploded into a cultural phenomenon, drawing attention from every corner of the internet. The London‑based service launched in 2016, giving creators the ability to charge fans for behind‑the‑scenes content. While many associate the platform with adult performers raking in tens of thousands of dollars a month, the reality is far more nuanced – most creators earn a modest profit. Yet beneath the glossy veneer lies a shadowy underworld teeming with threats, blackmail, scams, and outright controversy. Below we dive into the top 10 sinister facts that reveal just how dark the OnlyFans ecosystem can become.

Why These Top 10 Sinister Stories Matter

Understanding the hidden dangers of this lucrative platform helps fans and creators alike stay vigilant, protect their privacy, and recognize red flags before they spiral out of control.

10 Stalker Creates Fake Account For Ex‑Girlfriend

We kick off with the chilling tale of British stalker Andrew Betteridge. In the spring of 2020, the 36‑year‑old, who was still married at the time, fabricated a counterfeit OnlyFans page purporting to belong to his former partner. Over the next six months, Betteridge unleashed a relentless campaign of intimidation, threatening to expose a nude photograph of his ex if she didn’t comply with his demands.

Betteridge’s relationship with the woman began in 2019 and dissolved in early 2020. Almost immediately after the breakup, his obsessive behaviour escalated. From March through September 2020, he weaponised social media to track down her parents, submitted job applications under her name, and even trailed her to her children’s school. The victim described feeling like a “prisoner in my own home,” recounting sleepless nights punctuated by blind panic.

In April 2021, a judge handed Betteridge an indefinite restraining order and a twelve‑week suspended sentence, noting, “Your creativity in making this woman’s life a misery has been extraordinary… Stalking this woman appears to have become your all‑consuming hobby.”

9 Mexican Prisoners Sell Graphic Videos

Traveling across the globe, we arrive in Mexico, where incarcerated men have discovered a surprisingly lucrative side hustle: producing homemade porn for OnlyFans. Despite strict bans on mobile devices within the prison walls, these inmates managed to capture explicit footage ranging from solo masturbation to group sex, even snapping photos of themselves in various states of undress.

The clandestine account, which cost a modest $6 (≈£4.35) per month to subscribe, quickly amassed a dedicated male fanbase eager for the raw, unfiltered content. Subscribers left comments praising the performers as “gods in the art of sex,” while also demanding longer videos and better camera work. Some fans even suggested the inmates invest in higher‑quality phones and steadier filming techniques.

OnlyFans eventually suspended the account after the content drew widespread attention, but not before the platform became a bizarre footnote in the world of prison‑based entrepreneurship.

8 Pirated Content Leaked Online

Piracy isn’t just a problem for mainstream video sites; OnlyFans’ paid‑for library has also fallen victim to large‑scale theft. The platform, which hosts a diverse range of creators—from adult entertainers to chefs and musicians—relies on subscription fees to fund exclusive media.

Recent investigations uncovered a massive Google Drive folder where hackers had amassed thousands of stolen photos and videos, primarily explicit material. Cyber‑security firm Backchannel reported that the cache contained “videos and pictures stolen from hundreds of OnlyFans users,” confirming that the breach was not the result of a direct hack on the platform’s servers.

OnlyFans has publicly emphasized that its infrastructure remains secure, stressing that the leaked content was downloaded by paying users and then redistributed illegally. The company says it is pursuing legal action against those responsible for the unauthorized dissemination.

7 Californian Children Expelled From School

Expulsion is usually reserved for disciplinary infractions, yet a Sacramento Catholic school made headlines for removing three young boys solely because of their mother’s OnlyFans presence. Crystal Jackson, who signed up for the platform in 2019 under the alias Tiffany Poindexner, claimed to earn $150,000 a month, adding a spark of excitement to her marriage.

In July 2020, a parent at her children’s school discovered Jackson’s profile and circulated it among other parents, who then sent explicit photographs of her to school administrators, the bishop, and the broader church hierarchy. The backlash culminated in a demand that her sons—aged eight, ten, and twelve—be expelled from Sacred Heart Parish School.

Principal Theresa Sparks responded via email, stating, “Your apparent quest for high‑profile controversy in support of your adult website is in direct conflict with what we hope to impart to our students.” The three boys were ultimately removed from the school, highlighting the profound impact a parent’s online activity can have on their children’s education.

6 The Bella Thorne Controversy

In August 2020, former Disney star Bella Thorne sparked a firestorm after joining OnlyFans. Within a week, she amassed 50,000 followers and reportedly earned $2 million from what were marketed as nude photographs. However, many subscribers felt duped when the delivered images turned out to be modestly clothed, prompting a wave of refund requests for the $200 (≈£150) charge.

The uproar forced OnlyFans to impose new pricing caps: creators could no longer charge more than $50 per post, and tips were limited to $100. While many sex workers decried the restrictions—arguing that the platform had become their primary source of income during the pandemic—some high‑earning performers, like Britain’s 23‑year‑old Kaya Corbridge, who has made over $1 million through custom chats, videos, and even “personalised penis ratings,” warned they could lose up to $12,000 a month because of the new limits.

Corbridge and others are now weighing a migration to alternative platforms, underscoring the delicate balance OnlyFans must strike between creator autonomy and platform regulation.

5 YouTuber Sells Naked Childhood Video

Gabi DeMartino, a YouTube personality with over three million subscribers, found herself embroiled in controversy in December 2020. She listed a video titled “Won’t Put My Panties On,” featuring herself at three years old, completely unclothed. The clip was sold on OnlyFans for $3 (≈£2.20).

OnlyFans promptly terminated her account after the incident. DeMartino later posted an apology on her YouTube channel, explaining that she had become “disattached from reality” and failed to consider the gravity of sharing such material.

The episode sparked a broader conversation about the responsibilities of influencers when navigating adult platforms and the potential legal ramifications of posting underage content.

4 US Military Account Posts Explicit Tweets

Even the U.S. armed forces weren’t immune to OnlyFans‑related oddities. In October 2020, the official Twitter account for Fort Bragg began dispatching overtly sexual messages to OnlyFans star Quinn Finite. The tweets ranged from longing for a “deep long kiss” to bizarre, flirtatious remarks that left followers bewildered.

When confronted, the base initially claimed the account had been hacked, only to later admit that an administrator was responsible for the salacious posts. Finite responded with a mix of amusement and defiance, encouraging the account to “normalize horny tweeting from US Army forts.”

The incident highlighted how social‑media protocols can sometimes slip, creating unexpected cross‑overs between military branding and adult entertainment.

2 Scammer Steal Photos From Instagram

Imagine scrolling through Instagram only to discover a counterfeit OnlyFans page flaunting your own pictures. That nightmare became reality for Dale Halliwell, a young man from Perth, when scammers pilfered his Instagram images and advertised a bogus OnlyFans subscription promising exclusive adult content.

Initially, Halliwell brushed off the scheme, but alarm grew as friends and family began receiving phishing messages and entering credit‑card details. He quickly warned his network on Facebook about the fraudulent profile and reported the scam to the platform.

Cyber‑security experts note that such impersonation scams are commonplace. While Instagram swiftly removes accounts impersonating celebrities, ordinary users often experience slower responses, leaving them vulnerable to financial loss.

2 Blueface’s Weird OnlyFans Reality Show

California rapper Blueface, famous for his 2019 hit “Thotiana,” ventured into reality television on OnlyFans in 2020 with a series dubbed “Blue Girls Club.” Mirroring the notorious “Bad Girls Club,” the show gathered a group of young women to reside in his $1.3 million Los Angeles mansion, where they partook in nightly parties, exotic dancing, and frequent physical altercations—all streamed for a $50 monthly subscription.

The series ignited controversy in May 2021 after footage surfaced showing intense fights, including a notable incident where musician Chrisean Rock lost a tooth during a scuffle with a former participant. Critics likened the show to a cult, drawing parallels to R. Kelly’s alleged exploitation. Blueface defended the project, claiming it aimed to empower participants by testing their temper, attitude, patience, and composure.

Despite the backlash, the show continued to attract viewers, illustrating the blurred lines between entertainment and exploitation on adult platforms.

1 Underage Girls Selling Nudes Online

In April 2020, the BBC released a hard‑hitting documentary titled “#Nudes4Sale,” shedding light on the disturbing trend of minors selling explicit content online. The investigation revealed that roughly one‑third of Twitter accounts advertising nude images were operated by under‑eighteens.

Through interviews, the program highlighted stories such as a Scottish seventeen‑year‑old, identified only as Hannah, who opened an OnlyFans account at sixteen using a falsified ID. Despite being banned once, she persisted in selling adult material. Another participant, Sasha, began sex work at fifteen and faced familial rejection after an explicit photo of her circulated online.

Under British law, OnlyFans isn’t obligated to verify the age of its users; responsibility lies with the individuals who produce, distribute, or consume illegal content involving minors. The platform insisted it takes safety seriously, stating, “We constantly review our systems to ensure they are as robust as possible… If we are alerted to any underage individual who has gained or tried to gain illegitimate access to the platform we will always take immediate steps to investigate and suspend the account.”

When you think of spine‑tingling folklore, the United States often steals the spotlight. Yet the globe is littered with eerie narratives that rival any American ghost story. Below, we count down the 10 sinister non‑American urban legends that will make you double‑check the shadows in every corner of the world.

10 Sinister Non Tales

10 Ghostly Marble Games

Singapore may be famed for its gleaming malls, but it also harbors chilling myths. When Bishan MRT burst onto the scene in November 1987, commuters swore they saw headless apparitions drifting among the crowds. The station sits atop the old Peck San Theng burial ground, and night‑shift workers have reported phantom coffin carriers gliding through the tunnels that link Bishan to Novena, another line built over a former cemetery.

Even retreating to the safety of your HDB won’t halt the hauntings. Residents claim that children in the flat above them play marbles through the night. When the annoyed occupants storm upstairs, they discover the apartment empty, and the landlord confirms it’s been vacant for months—no family ever lived there, and no children ever existed.

9 Corpse on the Tube

In 2007, an unsettling legend rippled through the internet. It tells of an art student returning home on a London tube after a late night. She and a man in his mid‑thirties were the only passengers until three more boarded. Two men were clutching a woman between them, and the student assumed she was simply intoxicated.

Just as she tried to avoid eye contact, the man beside her whispered urgently that she needed to disembark at the next stop. After she fled the carriage, the man revealed he’d seen the two youths drag the woman, a pair of scissors lodged in her skull. Some versions claim the men strangled her, with the crime later uncovered by a ticket guard.

8 Last Resting Place of Terror

Australia is notorious for deadly critters, but Brisbane hides paranormal perils that could send you sprinting toward the Outback. At the summit of Avenue 12 in Toowong Cemetery lies a double grave of two sisters who perished in a car crash. Legend says that if you park at the hill’s base, the sisters’ spirits will tug your vehicle uphill toward a grim fate.

Another tale from Goodna Cemetery recounts a visitor who could not start his car after visiting a grave, despite the engine running. He wrestled with it all night until sunrise finally freed the vehicle. Upon returning home, he discovered deep gouges on both sides of the car. Goodna holds remains from the 1800s to modern times, including patients from the old Brisbane Mental Hospital.

7 The Haunting of La Mussara

The abandoned village of La Mussara near Vilaplana, Spain, sits in eerie silence, its ruins watching over Tarragona’s plains. Officially, a pestilence that destroyed vineyards forced the exodus, but rumors whisper of a curse that drove residents away.

Dense fog often cloaks the ruins, disorienting explorers. Those who investigate report hearing horse hooves and distant whispers. Some say the site guards a portal to La Vila del Sis; leaping over a particular stone outside a certain house allegedly thrusts you into that realm, where nightmarish underworld creatures await.

The mystery deepens with the disappearance of Enrique Martinez Ortiz, who set out on 16 October 1991 to gather mushrooms with friends. He lagged behind, and when his companions searched, he vanished forever.

6 The Devil Himself

If you’re not spooked by banshees, imagine the scorching specter of Francis Bruen’s bride haunting Coolbawn House. Ireland teems with ghostly lore, and Loftus Hall in County Wexford tops the list.

In 1766, the Tottenham family occupied the hall. After Lord Tottenham’s wife died, he remarried to secure help raising his two daughters. Storm‑tossed ships often sought refuge there. One such storm brought a mysterious young man who lingered for weeks.

Anne, the youngest daughter, grew close to the stranger. One night, she noticed his feet were missing—he was the devil, hooves and all. The devil transformed into a fiery ball, soaring through the roof before vanishing. Anne never recovered; her family, embarrassed by her behavior, locked her in the Tapestry Room until her death in 1775.

Today, Loftus Hall is deemed Ireland’s most haunted house, with Anne’s spirit still appearing. The roof bears a hole where the devil escaped after being uncovered.

5 Bad Light

The folklore of Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile tells of a “bad light” that roams the night skies of Mendoza, northern Argentina. This hovering glow, just a few feet above the mountainside, has been sighted by motorists—especially truck drivers.

Locals deem the light malevolent. When it shines white, it poses no danger, but green or red hues signal travelers to flee, lest they be cursed with lifelong misfortune. Some believe the light is the restless soul of an unburied person seeking revenge. Those who chased its source reportedly uncovered human remains.

4 Multicultural Monster

Even today, parents worldwide still frighten children with tales of the Bogeyman. This monster morphs across cultures, yet the warning remains: listen, or you’ll be devoured, kidnapped, tortured, or killed by whatever name it bears.

In Latin America, the creature is called El Cuco, capable of assuming any form, even human, and hiding unseen. Ancient texts by Diodorus Siculus claim Iberian soldiers offered heads to El Cuco after beheading enemies. Stephen King reimagines El Cuco as a worm‑filled entity that infiltrates DNA before mimicking its victim. In Portugal and Spain, the monster is depicted with a pumpkin head lit from within by a candle.

3 Come Tomorrow

During the 1990s, residents of Karnataka’s small towns and villages wrote “Nale Ba” on their walls. The phrase, meaning “come tomorrow,” stemmed from a rumor about a witch who knocked on doors, mimicking a loved one’s voice. One unsuspecting family member opened the door, inviting death into the home.

To protect themselves, locals painted “Nale Ba” on their exteriors. When the witch arrived, she read the warning and returned the next day, perpetuating an endless cycle that kept her from harming anyone.

Even today, some communities observe “Nale Ba Day” on April 1. The 2018 Bollywood film Stree drew inspiration from this legend, according to its director.

2 Out of Control Jealousy

Travelers to Amsterdam often wander to the Zeedijk, now part of Chinatown but once a historic neighborhood. There, a brutal murder left a lingering echo of screams that pierce the night.

In the early 1800s, sisters Dina and Helen fell for the same sailor, Wouter. He corresponded with Dina, but Helen intercepted and burned the letters. When Dina discovered the betrayal, a confrontation erupted. In a fit of rage, Helen shoved Dina down the Zeedijk basement stairs. Dina survived the fall, but Helen, enraged, beat her to death and concealed her body beneath the stairs.

Wouter, believing Dina’s death an accident, married Helen. On her deathbed, Helen confessed the murder. Disgusted, Wouter abandoned her, leaving her to die alone. Helen’s restless spirit still roams the Zeedijk, while Dina’s ghost wails on stormy nights, urging passersby to seek shelter until dawn.

1 The Screaming Woods

The Dering Woods, nicknamed the Screaming Woods, rank among Britain’s most haunted locales.

Explorers report blood‑curdling screams echoing from the forest’s depths, accompanied by whispers that drift up on foggy days. One theory attributes the cries to the tormented souls of victims from a 1948 massacre, where twenty bodies were discovered on November 1. Residents recalled eerie lights hovering in the woods the night before—a Halloween night—yet autopsies could not determine the cause of death.

Another legend speaks of an 18th‑century highwayman, captured and slain by villagers, who now haunts the woods seeking vengeance. His anguished screams reverberate each time he fails to avenge his own demise.

The world of golf is often seen as a gentleman’s place, where etiquette and following the rules are as key to the game as a set of clubs. Despite this, golf has a murky underbelly of murder, death, and disappearances. The much-covered plane crash of Major champion Payne Stewart in 1999 shocked the golfing pro world, but many of our stories today went unnoticed or are not remembered. Read on for ten times golf courses and the wider golfing world turned sinister…

Related: 10 Origins Of Sports Balls

10 Golfing During the Blitz

During Adolf Hitler’s relentless blitzing of England in 1940 and 1941, golf clubs across the southern coast of England had special provisions in place to account for the bombings. The rules committee of Richmond Golf Club in Surrey introduced a now-famous list of allowances while playing. The list included asking players to collect pieces of shrapnel while on their rounds, allowing players to take cover without time penalties during bombardments, and allowing a player to re-hit if their stroke was affected by an explosion.

The Nazi propaganda machine was aware of the rules, calling them “ridiculous reforms,” showing a “pretended heroism” as the Germans bombarded the golf course and surrounding areas with over 1,000 bombs. The raids destroyed areas of the golf club property and other part around Surrey, in which over 2,300 people were killed and more than 14,000 maimed or injured.^[1]

9 Answers to the Jimmy Hoffa Disappearance

In 1982, Jimmy Hoffa was legally declared dead after disappearing in 1975 without any trace of his whereabouts. According to some investigative reporters, Hoffa was murdered and is now buried under one of the greens of the Savannah Inn and Golf Country Club in Atlanta, Georgia. (Many theories still abound about Hoffa’s final resting place, including under a barn, a swimming pool, and even former Giants Stadium, among others.) However, the course was owned by mobster Lou Rosanova, who frequently urinated on a particular spot during his rounds of golf.

When challenged why he always did this, Rosanova confirmed it was the body of Hoffa who lay under the green. According to attorney accounts, Rosanova said Hoffa had been flown in from Detroit and buried under the green as this was somewhere “no one would ever suspect.” Other mobsters who knew this would also urinate on this spot during their rounds, laughing about the suspected burial.

Hoffa was known to be linked to Teamsters and was garnering mob support during his run for Union Presidency. Around the time of his disappearance, the caddy master at the club, David Days Jr., remembers some unusual activity at the club with “something going on, [but] we just couldn’t put our finger on it.”^[2]

8 Wrong Place, Wrong Time

During a July afternoon at the Pinetree Country Club in Georgia, the Director of Golf, Gene Siller, was shot in the head and killed while inspecting why a vehicle was left abandoned out on the course. Siller had been tasked with inspecting a white RAM 3500 truck, which was apparently left abandoned on the 10th green. When searched, however, it also contained two murdered victims. If all of this sounds like something more out of a game of Grand Theft Auto, you would be forgiven, as the three murders do not appear linked.

The two bodies found in the truck were said to have been bound by their mouth, hands, and legs and had been shot dead. When the unsuspecting Siller approached the scene trying to ascertain why there was a truck parked in the middle of the green, he was shot dead. Siller appears to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time—despite being a busy Saturday afternoon on the golf course where he was also a pro.

Days after the triple homicide, police arrested 23-year-old local Bryan Anthony Roden, who has been charged with three counts of murder, but a motive has yet to be determined.^[3]

7 Mysterious Dismembered Body Found

On the morning of April 29, 1955, the body of a middle-aged woman was found bludgeoned to death near the tee box of the 17th tee of Potters Bar Golf Course. The discovery of the corpse led local police to question over 4,000 men and, using fingerprint technology, managed to identify the culprit after matching bloody prints left on a tee box marker which was presumed to be the murder weapon. Eventually, a 17-year-old boy was arrested and convicted of murder. However, this incident was not the first time a corpse had been discovered on this course.

Seven years earlier, a young boy was diving in one of the ponds out on the course when he discovered a rotting, severed hand. After draining the pond, more pieces of a body were uncovered, with some of them evidently hacked to pieces and burned. A hacksaw was also found alongside the severed and burned head of the victim. Police identified the body as missing man Albert Welch, who had left his home with a single note to his wife in 1947, which simply read, “I have gone for a walk…Shan’t be home for tea.”

Using the best scientific techniques of the time, Welch was identified by a number of methods, including plaster casting, using fingerprints somehow found in the lake, and examining the upper jaw to match an apparent abscess that Welch had complained about. The mystery remains unsolved as to who murdered Welch and sawed his body into pieces, with key details set to be made public in 2031. Potter Bar Golf Club shut and ceased trading in 2018.^[4]

6 Found Hundreds of Miles from Home…on a Golf Course

In August 2015, 36-year-old librarian Saima Ahmed from Wembley, London, was reported missing by her immediate family. Her whereabouts were unknown until fragments of her skull and other bones were found at a Golf Course in Edinburgh—the Gogarburn Golf Club—in January 2016. How Ahmed’s remains were found so far away from where she lived has left her family and detectives perplexed. Found with her remains was a train ticket dated August 30, indicating she traveled alone to Scotland’s capital on that day. CCTV of her boarding a train at Wembley Central Station confirmed this.

A local dog walker in Scotland told police that they had witnessed a woman who matched the description of Ahmed “staring out at the sea” of Portobello beach. Other than this, very little is known about her movements once in Edinburgh. Police misconduct cases have been brought against the force for not treating the case with a high enough priority, and this has frustrated Ahmed’s family. They remain completely confused by the entire case. No amount of forensic examinations of the remains indicate any criminal activity, and a fresh appeal for information was mounted in 2020, yet the case remains unsolved.^[5]

5 Missing Golf Club Designer

The designer of Lynx Golf’s Parallax Irons, Dave Boone, left his Orange County apartment on the afternoon of December 5, 2006, and was never seen again. Boone had been successful in the golf club design world, with his award-winning Irons being used by winners of both the Masters and the U.S Open. Both Ernie Els and Freddy Couples used Boone’s Parallax Irons in the 1990s, enjoying incredible success.

His disappearance shocked many in the golfing world. Local police searched for Boone in the nearby Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, using helicopters and dogs to try and pick up his scent, but no traces of Boone were found. Boone had four sons, aged between 17 and 27, and all four scoured the nearby wilderness on bikes looking for clues of his whereabouts. Boone left no sign or indication that he was preparing to take his own life.

Searches of his computer did not point to suicide, and Boone had left the apartment with only the clothes he was wearing and his keys. Some of the bloodhounds eventually tracked his scent to a part of the mountain range, but no other firm clues have been found. It is theorized by online investigators that Boone committed suicide in the wilderness, and his body would have been eaten by local wildlife. However, the case remains a mystery, tied forever to the golfing equipment world.^[6]

4 Death from Above

During a thunderstorm, a golf course can become one of the most frequently struck places when fork lightning occurs. For this reason, being stuck out on the course can be extremely dangerous. Numerous stories exist of golfers being struck while out, but earlier in 2021, a 70-year-old golfer was found dead on the 7th green of Burlington Country Club in New Jersey during the middle of the day. It was apparent from his condition that he had been fatally struck by lightning during the recent storm.

A near-fatal account occurred during an incident in Wisconsin in which four people were struck in the same strike during a round at the Big Fish Golf Club. One of the golfers recalls hearing an almighty cracking sound and then woke up on the ground. Even in the pros, fans may recall Tony Jacklin having his club struck mid-swing and it flying 30 feet away from him. Or Lee Trevino, who was struck by a lightning surge from a nearby lake, requiring hospitalization.^[7]

3 Pierced Through the Heart

Those of us who have played or watched golf before will know that frustration and anger can often lead to players throwing their clubs in disgust. This has been seen many times on the PGA Tour. But in Gloversville, NY, during July of 1994, a player doing this would find it backfire—fatally.

Young golfer Jeremy Brenno was playing a round at his local course, the Kingsboro Golf Club, when he very wildly hit his 3-wood on a bench after making a bad shot. The shaft of the club snapped and bounced backward toward Brenno, entering his chest and spearing him in the heart. Brenno was attended to by emergency services but was pronounced dead by 6 pm. He was only 16. His death reminds all who play golf to remember (despite this list)—it is only a game.^[8]

2 Food for the Crocodiles

Many golf clubs around the world have local alligators or crocodiles who live in the water surrounding the course, with many players posting videos of encounters on social media. In Kruger National Park, South Africa, Jacques van der Sandt was retrieving golf balls from the Lake Panic dam with his two legs in the water up to knee height. He was suddenly grabbed and pulled by a force from the unseen murky depths.

The crocodile, which was 12 feet long and had recently come out of hibernation looking for food, dragged van der Sandt into the water, biting him in the back and chest. He was not seen again by his friend with whom he was playing a game on who could find the most golf balls. His body was recovered later by police as it was not completely mutilated by the crocodile. Rangers later killed the animal in order to protect against any further attacks on locals.^[9]

1 Golfer Never Resurfaced

Many in the golfing world will know that searching for golf balls can be its own pastime in itself. In October of this year, two golfers in Northern Ireland at the Hilton Belfast Templepatrick Golf and Country Club went out in diving equipment looking for golf balls in the lakes out on the course. The men were employed by the hotel to retrieve the balls and then sell them back to the golf club.

At around 2 pm, one of the men resurfaced to find his partner had yet to come up from his dive. After a short period, emergency services were called as it was becoming apparent the second man might be in grave danger. Around five hours later, a body was recovered from the murky water of the course, with post-mortem investigations suggesting the man may have had a “health complaint” while diving. Unfortunately, the course claimed his life for the relatively cheap industry of used golf balls.^[10]

It seems obvious that a former president should be given an appropriate and honorable final resting place. For most who have served their country, that has been true. But there have also been a surprising number of issues with former leaders’ deaths. From George Washington to the present day, presidents have been memorialized in some strange ways. Worse still, some of their remains haven’t been allowed to rest as they should.

Here are ten tales of the strange fates of former presidents after death.

Related: Top 10 Faux Pas Committed By US Presidents

10 George Washington

When George Washington died in 1799, his will was clear: He wanted to be buried close to his Virginia home. But the mausoleum at his plantation, Mount Vernon, needed considerable renovation to hold the first President’s remains. Prior to his death, Washington himself laid out the issue. He wrote about repairs that had to be done to the vault: “I desire that a new [tomb] of Brick, and upon a larger Scale, may be built at the foot of what is commonly called the Vineyard Inclosure… In which my remains, with those of my deceased relatives… may be deposited.”

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Congress ignored his request and conspired to erect a crypt in the U.S. Capitol building. But by 1830, three decades after Washington’s death, that memorial hadn’t been built. Washington’s remains were still in Mount Vernon—but no renovation had been done on the vault there, either.

That’s when things got strange. That year, Washington’s nephew and last surviving heir, John Augustine Washington II, fired a gardener who had been employed at Mount Vernon. The landscaper was upset about the dismissal and sought revenge. He crept into the crypt with the intention of stealing the late president’s skull. Thankfully, Washington’s body had been encased in lead to prevent post-death tampering. Even so, the crypt was in such bad shape that the bones of dozens of people were scattered and mixed together inside. Instead of taking a piece of Washington, the gardener swiped the skull of one of his distant relatives. A year later, the surviving Washington heir erected a new crypt to honor the president, and—pardon the pun—the rest is history.^[1]

9 James K. Polk

James K. Polk died only a few months after his term ended in 1849. The nation’s 11th President died of cholera, which at the time meant a quick burial in a mass grave to slow the disease’s aggressive spread. That burial was unbecoming for a former president, though. After a year in a common grave in a city cemetery in Nashville, lawmakers in Tennessee ordered the remains moved. The intended final resting spot was to be Polk Place, where the president died. And for a while, that was that. But in 1893, the Polk family sold the expansive property. When that happened, Tennessee officials moved Polk’s remains to the State Capitol in Nashville—and again, for a while, that was that.

In 2017, Polk’s final resting place came back into question. At issue this time was the late president’s last will and testament. In the document, he requested to be buried at Polk Place. That property was demolished not long after his family sold it back in 1893, though. So state lawmakers began the process of moving the remains to a property in the city of Columbia, an hour outside Nashville.

Polk had also owned that home during his life, and politicians reasoned the move would essentially fulfill the request in his will. In 2018, the Tennessee legislature passed a resolution to move Polk yet again. However, six months later, it was put on hold when the Tennessee Historical Commission refused to grant permission to disturb the remains. Today, Polk rests at the State Capitol Building—for now.^[2]

8 Zachary Taylor

Not long after Polk’s death, his successor died. Zachary Taylor had the unfortunate distinction of dying in office when he perished a year into his term in 1850. He was 65 years old upon death, which was an advanced age at the time. However, just days before passing, he was in good spirits at a Fourth of July ceremony. The sudden death left supporters wondering if he was poisoned. Taylor had been strongly against allowing slavery in the west at the time. Thus, his supporters wondered whether pro-slavery insurgents poisoned the milk and cherries he ate on the Fourth of July. But no definitive proof of poisoning was ever revealed.

Taylor was buried in his home state of Kentucky. For a while, he rested peacefully. But over the next century, the possibility of poisoning continued to be debated. In 1991, the former President was exhumed for an autopsy. Kentucky’s chief medical examiner performed the procedure. He conclusively found Taylor had not been poisoned. In his report, the death doc wrote Taylor died of “a myriad of natural diseases which could have produced the symptoms of gastroenteritis.” Satisfied at the conclusion, 140 years later, lawmakers had Taylor reburied. Today, he rests in the National Cemetery that bears his name in Louisville.^[3]

7 John Tyler

John Tyler was America’s tenth President, serving before Polk. The Southerner died in 1862, during the middle of the Civil War. He had been elected to the insurgent Confederacy’s legislature in his final days. Thus, rebels held the Virginia native’s body on their side of the horrifically bloody war. This riled up men on both fronts of the conflict and altered how Tyler’s final resting place was designated. The write-up of Tyler’s passing in The New York Times was vicious, asserting he went “down to death amid the ruins of his native State.” The obituary continued: “[Tyler] himself was one of the architects of its ruin; and beneath that melancholy wreck his name will be buried, instead of being inscribed on the Capitol’s monumental marble, as a year ago he so much desired.”

That obituary writer would be proven correct. Tyler had requested a simple funeral at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virgina. That did not happen. Seeing an opportunity to promote rebel pride, Confederate President Jefferson Davis threw a “grand event” for Tyler. Davis even draped Tyler’s coffin in a Confederate flag. In response, Union lawmakers refused to acknowledge the former president’s resting place. Today, Tyler is still interred in Richmond. The old bitterness has carried on, too. According to cemetery officials, he is still the only former president whose resting place is not recognized in Washington.^[4]

6 Abraham Lincoln

After Abraham Lincoln’s 1865 assassination, his body was taken by train around the country. Millions of Americans mourned their murdered leader. The body was embalmed for the trip—a relatively new procedure at the time. It hadn’t been perfected yet, though. The 19-day rail journey required morticians to travel with Lincoln’s corpse and re-embalm it at every stop. However, the experts were unable to prevent the corpse’s ultimate decay. When the train stopped in New York, a reporter wrote: “It will not be possible, despite the effection of the embalming, to continue much longer the exhibition, as the constant shaking of the body aided by the exposure to the air, and the increasing of dust, has already undone much of the… workmanship.” Thankfully, after three weeks, Lincoln was finally laid to rest in an Illinois tomb.

A decade later, in 1876, a group of criminals devised a plan to steal Lincoln’s remains and hold them for ransom. There were no guards at the late president’s tomb, and the marble sarcophagus serving as his resting place had only been lightly sealed. Unbeknownst to the group, they revealed their scheme to a man who was a government informant. He told the Secret Service, and on the day the crew went to the tomb, officers were waiting. Following that near-theft, Lincoln’s remains were secretly buried in the vault’s basement. In 1901, he was disinterred once more and reburied inside a steel cage under ten feet of concrete.^[5]

5 Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding suddenly died at a San Francisco hotel in 1923. At the time, he was in the midst of a nationwide speaking tour. He’d also recently suffered food poisoning. But nobody expected him to pass without warning. His wife, Florence, was adamant about the aftermath: no autopsy and immediate embalming. Harding’s doctors were furious. They wanted to know what had suddenly killed the sitting President. One frustrated medical professional even wrote: “We shall never know exactly the immediate cause of President Harding’s death since every effort that was made to secure an autopsy met with complete and final refusal.” The grieving widow was unmoved, though, and her late husband was buried.

For a while, the public blamed Harding’s doctors for his death. But a few years later, the truth started to come out. In 1928, a woman named Nan Britton wrote a tell-all book about an alleged affair she had with Harding. And in 1930, a former administration staffer wrote a book alleging Florence poisoned her husband after learning of the infidelity. Then, almost a century later, Britton’s descendants wanted answers about their lineage. Ancestry documentation linked them to Harding, and they took the late president’s offspring to court over it. Before Harding’s body could be exhumed for DNA proof, though, his progeny relented. They admitted Harding did indeed have an affair with Britton that produced a child.^[6]

4 Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt was one of America’s greatest presidents. He saw the country through a bit more than three terms spanning much of the Great Depression and World War II. When he died in 1945, he had been very sick for a very long time. Still, his death was not expected. Roosevelt had been at one of his vacation homes with an alleged mistress when he perished. He told her he felt “a terrific pain in the back of my head” and passed out. Three hours later, he was dead. But while officials knew the importance of embalming quickly after death, their response was slow. An undertaker wasn’t contacted until four hours after the president’s death. All the while, aides waited on Eleanor Roosevelt to arrive as the next of kin.

Nine hours later, the embalming process finally began. The undertaker, F. Haden Snoderly, recorded a detailed 15-page memo about the significant issues he faced at that point. “Rigor mortis had set in,” he wrote, and Roosevelt’s abdomen had been “noticeably distended” by the time embalming began. Worse still, FDR’s “arteries were sclerotic,” which meant it was nearly impossible for Snoderly to get embalming fluid into the great man’s veins. The process was so difficult that accusations later appeared in books that Roosevelt had been poisoned and his body had turned black upon death. Those claims were false, but rumors persisted. As for FDR’s afterlife, the president wanted to keep things simple. He wrote out a very detailed set of instructions demanding a bare-bones coffin, a low-key funeral, and no lying in state.^[7]

3 John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy’s body rests in the Arlington National Cemetery. His brain, however, is missing. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. During the autopsy, his brain was placed in “a stainless-steel container with a screw-top lid.” Secret Service agents stored it in a secured file cabinet for safekeeping. From there, it was later brought to a “secure room” within the National Archives. But then something horrible happened. Three years after Kennedy’s death, officials discovered the late President’s brain had vanished. But nobody knew when or how it had been removed from the National Archives.

Author James Swanson reported on the macabre caper in the book End Of Days, writing: “the brain, the tissue slides, and other autopsy materials were missing—and they have never been seen since.” There is no shortage of conspiracy theories focused on Kennedy’s death, but his missing brain has only added to the lore. Swanson played right into it with his own theory too. The author claimed JFK’s brother Robert F. Kennedy was the one who swiped the organ. “My conclusion is that Robert Kennedy did take his brother’s brain—not to conceal evidence of a conspiracy but perhaps to conceal evidence of the true extent of President Kennedy’s illnesses,” Swanson wrote, “or perhaps to conceal evidence of the number of medications that President Kennedy was taking.”^[8]

2 Tassos Papadopoulos

Tassos Papadopoulos, the former President of Cyprus, succumbed to lung cancer in 2008. Papadopoulos had been a political hero in the island nation. After his death, his body was interred in a cemetery in the city of Nicosia. But on the day before the first anniversary of his passing, the remains were stolen. On the morning of December 11, 2009, one of Papadopoulos’s former bodyguards went to the gravesite to light a candle of remembrance. It had rained hard the night before. When the mourning man arrived, he found an empty hole and a pile of dirt where the grave had been. The shocked man immediately called the police.

Officials were baffled by the heist. For weeks, they failed to determine any suspects. Then, three months later, an anonymous tip led police to a different cemetery in Nicosia. There, they found Papadopoulos’s body reburied in another grave. The tip gave investigators a lead, too. It turned out the late president’s body had been dug up by a man seeking leverage to ask for his brother’s release from prison. The scheme came apart after another accomplice called Papadopolous’s family and asked for money instead. The grave robbers were caught and quickly punished. Each man received less than two years in jail for the crime. Thankfully, Papadopoulos was reburied peacefully.^[9]

1 José Eduardo dos Santos

When José Eduardo dos Santos died in early July 2022, it kicked off a series of tense exchanges. Dos Santos had ruled over Angola for decades after taking power in 1979. During that time, his regime oversaw a brutal civil war. He died in Spain, thousands of miles away from his political opponents. But the geography and timing were both tough: Angola was on the eve of an already-tense election campaign when dos Santos succumbed in Barcelona.

His daughter openly claimed foul play had felled the 79-year-old man. She demanded an autopsy in Spain to determine his cause of death. The autopsy was performed, but the evidence of misdeed was not there. Certain of an unsuspicious death, a Spanish judge ruled weeks later that dos Santos was not the victim of foul play. The judge also ordered dos Santos’s body be released to his widow, Ana Paula, and not his children. The grieving wife flew it back to his homeland days before the August elections.

The current Angolan government protested that choice but eventually allowed it. Longtime supporters met the late president’s casket at the airport in Luanda and mourned as it traveled through the city. Finally, in August, dos Santos was laid to rest in the capital “after a long waiting period.”^[10]