Chambers of the Occult - EP# 34 Death in the Tropics and Dread in the Trees: The Honolulu Strangler and The Screaming Forests

Episode Date: April 3, 2025

Send us a textIn this episode of Chambers of the Occult, J dives into Death in the Tropics—the terrifying true crime case of the Honolulu Strangler, Hawaii’s first known serial killer. Between 1985 and 1986, the island paradise of Oahu was rocked by the disappearances and murders of five women, beginning with Vicky Gale Purdy. The case remains unsolved, leaving behind a legacy of fear and mystery.Then, Kai takes us deep into Dread in the Trees, exploring some of the most haunted forests in the world. Discover the eerie legends of Pluckley Screaming Woods in England, the cursed forests of Massachusetts, and Japan’s infamous Aokigahara Suicide Forest. Kai unpacks the ghost stories, chilling encounters, and psychological phenomena that make these locations so infamous.True crime meets the paranormal in an episode that proves some places are beautiful by day—and horrifying by night.

They say paradise is where you go to escape. But what if it's also where you disappear? In the dead of night, women vanished. It started with one, then another, and another. No screams, no struggle, just silence. And then, the ocean gave them back. Bound, abused, strangled.

No pattern, no witness, no mercy. The media gave him a name. The Honolulu Strangler. Chambers of the Occult may contain content that might not be suitable for all listeners. Listener discretion is advised. Okay. I... Wow. I've never heard, I've never even thought of like, murderers in Hawaii. But, but yeah, I guess it makes sense that they're a thing.

I mean, I think that they're everywhere, even if we don't like to admit it. Yeah. I mean, I think that they're everywhere even if we don't like to admit. Yeah Isn't there some statistic that like there's like five active serial killers in the United States at any given time or? Something like that. I feel like I read that years ago. I think it might be more than that. I hope not Wow good intro short to the point I liked it. Short to the point. I liked it. Yeah. I'm Jay. I'm Kai. And welcome. And this time we have remembered to say our names at the start of the episode.

Not at the end. Yeah. We literally talked about that right before we started recording. We were like, we have to introduce ourselves. So. Yeah, I think for like the last two we said our intro at the, like our name at the very end. At the very end, yeah. Yeah, and it's like, who are these two guys talking and who are they? And I have no clue. Yeah.

But yeah, so for today's case, we're heading to Hawaii. Woo. Yeah. The place is cool. So for today's case, we're heading to Hawaii Whoo? Yeah, I Wanted to cover this story for a while. I just didn't know how to go about it. Okay, because There's a lot of Information and at the same time, there's no information. We'll get into it. There's a lot of information about the virus. No, I get that. That's how a lot of cases are weirdly enough.

Yeah. Yeah. But like we already said, we're heading to Hawaii, and let's kind of get into it. We're gonna just kind of jump into the year 1985. So not super far ago, not too recent. I think it's like that kind of like sweet spot. We're like, we weren't alive, but it's not super far away. Yeah, that's only 40 years ago. Holy shit. 40 years ago. Yeah, that's only 40 years ago. Holy shit.

So, this is the story of Vicky Gale Purdy. Sorry. Come on, Kai. Sorry. His funny name. Vicky Gale Purdy. Yeah, that's a funny name. I'm sorry for laughing at you. I was gonna be like you won't be laughing when you find out that she was the first victim. Yeah, I'm sorry. It's fine. You know she

She had a fun life. So hopefully she can appreciate that. We're still having fun Yeah, I think she's like watching over us right now She's definitely not watching over us right now. She's enjoying It's probably something you know like when like people talk about you like you have like a shiver than your spine or you're like you see Mm-hmm. It's like whatever that is But like in the afterlife. Yeah, she's like like the fuck is who the fuck is talking. Yeah Let me live in peace. Yeah live. I don't know Rest rat rat. Yeah. Yeah rest. Yeah. Yeah Anyway, she was the first victim of the Honolulu Strangler.

He was a serial killer who got a grip on paradise, and he just shattered the illusion of safety across the Hawaiian islands. Now, this was back in May of 1985, but no one knew that at first, of course. It always starts with that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No one ever expects that. Everyone, I mean... I like to imagine that the majority of us believe the best in like humanity.

Yes. Yeah. I do. I try to. Yeah. All they knew is that a young woman had gone out dancing and she never came home. So, Vicky was 25 years old. She was blonde, bright, restless in the way that people often were

when they were trying to make a life of something that didn't quite fit. She was originally from North Carolina. Oh, okay. And so she, that actually, that explains the name. Pretty. That explains her name, yeah. Yeah, yeah. She was a small town girl who had followed love

across the ocean to Hawaii. So she built a life along her husband. Go ahead. So she fell in love with Hawaii or she fell in love with a guy in Hawaii? With a guy, yes. Okay. Yeah, okay. I mean, I think it was a little with a guy in Hawaii? With a guy, yes. Okay. I mean, I think it was a little bit of both.

Probably a mix of both, yeah. But I think it was the guy that led her to Hawaii and then she fell in love with Hawaii as well. Gotcha. Yeah. So she built a life with her husband, Gary Purdy, who was an Army helicopter pilot. Oh, that's sick. Yeah, and he was stationed at the,

let's see if I can say this right, because I practiced, but I practiced a few days ago, not recently. Cut. Oh, Dillingham Airfield, I think that's what it's called. Cool. Yeah, and he was on the island North Shore. So that's primarily why she moved to Hawaii, just to be closer to her husband. Gotcha, and it was on the island North Shore So that's primarily why she moved to Hawaii just to be closer to her husband

Gotcha, and then he was there because you know, he was in the military. Yeah. Yeah, okay Now they lived in meal meal. I am miliani a How do you spell it? M-I-L-I-L-A-N-I. Mili-ani. Yeah, that works. Something like that. I don't know. Yeah. It's just like the I's and then the L's and then I and then L. And I'm just like... Okay, cool. So that's how they lived. Yeah. It was a quiet suburb surrounded by green hills, palm-lined trees.

It was just the kind of neighborhood where people didn't really lock their doors, where like the worst thing that might happen any given day was like a dog barking too much. Nice. But Vicky, she didn't really crave the quiet. She worked at a local video rental store, so back when they were a thing. And when the sun went down, she often gravitated towards Waikiki. Which we've talked about previously. We have. The Waikiki choking ghost.

Yes. Which we had our guest Sabina at that episode. Yeah. If you guys haven't seen that episode, check it out. It's pretty fun. It's not one of our first guest episodes, but... No, it's actually one of our most popular episodes. Really? That's awesome. I mean, it makes sense. Sabina is great. Yeah. I think I was looking at them and I was like, I think it's tied for second place, unlike the most listened episodes That's cool. Yeah, go check it out. Make it the first guys Waikiki was Honolulu's like electric playground

neon signs tiki torches clubs music So it wasn't unusual for her to like get off work and just like go out with friends Well, like Gary husband, was on duty. So according to him, they had like a trusting relationship, at least on the surface. Good. But later, Gary would admit that Vicky was just strong-willed, she liked her freedom, and she wasn't content to stay at home waiting for her life to happen. liked her freedom and she wasn't content to stay at home waiting for her life to happen. So it would be on May 29th, 1985, a Wednesday night that Vicky told Gary that she was heading

to Waikiki to meet friends and go dancing. Her plan was to hit the Shorebird nightclub inside the Reef Hotel, right on the edge of the beach. So she left her home in the district yellow Camaro. In their district yellow Camaro. Distinct. What am I saying? Wow. It's been a long day. I just took you for your word. I was like, that's a type of Camaro that I've never heard of before, but like, I don't know cars that well, so. I was just trying to say, yeah. And they're distinct yellow chimera.

There we go. Anyway, the reason I'm saying distinct is because it would later become like... A important thing. Important thing of the story. Gotcha. Anyway, so witnesses recall seeing Vicky at the shorebird. And some suggest that she may have visited another bar nearby.

But after that, the night kind of turned into a mist. No one could say for sure if she found her friends. Yeah, I mean, you're out partying, it's late, people are drinking, smoking, all that stuff. So yeah, no one could tell if she found her friends, whether she danced, whether she left, or whether she left alone or with someone else. What is certain is that Vicky disappeared. Fuck.

So May 30th, 1985, the next morning, Vicky didn't come home. Gary said he wasn't immediately alarmed, because it wasn't unlike her to stay out late. Fair, yeah. You can see that. But as the morning dragged into the afternoon, he began to call friends, hospitals, even the police. Then he drove to Waikiki himself and he found her Camaro still parked at the hotel locked. Doors locked, no signs of struggle.

It was as if she had just vanished between the club entrance and the driver's seat. And then... came the call. Oh. A body had been found. Oh, okay. Yeah. I'm not relieved that a body was found, maybe it seemed like that,

but I was like, call? Oh my god, like a call from a murderer or something like that. Yeah, okay, standard like call. Yes. That, sad, okay. Body was found dumped near Kihi Lagoon, a quiet overgrown area just a few miles from the airport, a place that people rarely looked at. It was a place where planes swore overhead,

but no one really paid attention to the brush below. So it was a passerby or a worker who stumbled upon her, though like the exact name was never released of the person who found her. Vicky, the victim, was partially nude. Her clothing disheveled. And once again, folks, we give a content warning at the start of the episode, but here's another content warning. Her hands were tightly bound behind her back with a parachute cord. The kind used in military settings. Oh, that's a big detail. The kind used in military settings. Oh.

That's a big detail. Yep, a detail. Especially considering her husband's career. Yes, exactly. So now it's got me thinking like, hmm, was the husband in on it? Was it a jealous lover from the base? Was it... I don't know. anything. A cover was, is it some person trying to frame

the military or the husband? Who knows? You will get into it, but... Yes, but all those are great questions and theories. Brain of a true crime podcast. It's just like brainstorm right there. Um, unfortunately, she had also been sexually assaulted. Yeah. Um, and the autopsy confirmed that she had died from, uh, ligature strangulation. Gotcha. Um, there were no signs of struggle, uh, no bru- no bruising on the knuckles, no broken fingernails, just

silence, cold, calculated and controlled. Whoever had taken Vicky knew what they were doing. Now the investigation begins. Yeah. So for detectives at the Honolulu Police Department, the murder was of course disturbing, but in those few days it wasn't seen as a part of anything larger. It was filed under, yeah, tragic, but isolated. A one-time incident, a military wife out late who had met the wrong person, a woman who, some whispered, shouldn't have been out alone. The media did pick up on it. Briefly, the local newspapers ran a story with some somber headlines. A young woman deadlines. Young woman found dead near Kihi Lagoon. Foul play suspected. The coverage

was polite, measured even, but there was no hysteria, no manhunt, no city-wide panic. Okay. So it was just like, oh wow, like this was an unfortunate murder and the police are looking into it, but other other than that we don't really need to be concerned. Yep. Now, you kind of brought up this earlier but who do you think the first suspect was? The husband. The husband.

It's always the husband. Of course. I mean it's always, right? Like, or some spouse or whatever. But this case because of the military like, like, parachute court, it just... Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So, when a woman is murdered, police always start with the same question.

Where was the husband? Yeah. And Gary Purdy was no exception. Now, he was calm in question. Some say too calm. He admitted that Vicky often went out without him, and he had been home that night. Now, there was no witnesses that placed him near Waikiki, no evidence that tied him to the scene. But of course, there were whispers.

Some detectives found it odd that Gary waited until midday the next day before sounding the alarm. Yeah, I can see how that might be a little odd, but... Why hadn't he called sooner? Yeah. Yeah. Others noted that the tension between the two, Vicky wanted more independence, Gary wanted more stability. Friends also later recalled Vicky sometimes seemed lonely as if she went looking for something that Hawaii couldn't give her.

That would make sense. I mean, you know, she moved out there, left everything. Maybe going out into Waikiki, partying is a way to cope with it. But none of that proved anything. And Gary Purdy was never charged. Still, his name lingered around the investigation. Always close, never quite clear in the public's eye. And this is when the investigation came to a stall. Police canvassed the area around Waikiki, questioning bartenders, bouncers, patrons. Some remember Vicky.

And a few thought that they saw her talking to a man, but no one could give a name. No one could even describe a face. I mean, she was out. I mean, everyone's there partying. Yeah, she was out partying like so many people. Now, they also looked into the parachute cord, wondering if it could be traced to a military base,

but it was generic issue, widely available. A dead end. So anyone could have purchased this There was also rumors that a cab cab driver had picked her up That she had been followed But nothing ever solid surfaced It was as though the killer had reached into the night pluck plucked her out of it, and vanished without trace. The perfect abduction. The perfect abduction.

And with no other victims, no patterns, and no pressure from the public, the case quickly went cold. Went cold. So no hysteria, no manhunt, just a sad headline that faded into the background. But someone else was paying attention. And they weren't finished.

Because eight months later, another woman would vanish. Wow, okay. Then another. And another. Okay. Then another. And another. Then another. It was only then that the island would come to realize that Vicky wasn't the exception.

Exception. She was the first. She was the first, yeah. I'm sure you're gonna get into it. Yeah. But how like quick were those next murders? You don't need to answer that right now if you don't. No, so like I said, it's eight months before the next one,

and after that, the time frame gets smaller and smaller. Gotcha. Yeah, that's what I thought. Yeah, so eight months, and then they get more confident, and they just get cockier and cockier. Until you'll find out. Yes, yes we will. Now we're gonna skip over eight months

to January 14th, 1896. 1986? 1986. Okay, yeah. Yeah, it had been, did I say the wrong year? You said 1896 and I was like, that's not. Yeah, we're going back in time now. had been, did I say the wrong year? You said 1896 and I was like, that's not... Oh yeah, my bad. Yeah, we're going back in time now.

Way back in time. We need a history lesson for this one. Turns out that this had been happening a hundred years before. History of Hawaii. Yeah, 1986. It had been nearly eight months since the brutal murder of Vicky and the case faded into the background until another young woman vanished. Her name was Regina Sakamoto and she would become the second known

victim of the Honolulu Strangler. Now Regina Sakamoto was just 17 years old. A high school senior at the Liyue High School in Waiiwa, I think that's what it is. And she had dreams of becoming a teacher. She was intelligent, self-spoken, and deeply loved by her family. Especially her mother. Now, her mother had raised her largely on her own after Regina's father passed away when she was younger. She also had a boyfriend who attended college on the mainland and she had plans to visit him in February.

Got it. Something she spoke about often, but she was kind of trusting, and she had a whole future ahead of her. Wow. But on the morning of January 14th, Regina was running a little late. That morning, she caught the bus

every day to school. Her usual route included a transfer at the Waipu Bus Depot, which would take her into town. But that morning, she missed her transfer. Dude. So, she called her boyfriend from a payphone. She called her boyfriend telling him that she'd wait for the next bus. It was a simple moment, the kind that happens to all of us.

A missed bus, a short delay, a quick phone call. And then, she disappeared. Fuck, dude. Mm-hmm. Now, on January 15, 1986, the next morning... The next day. Yep. Her mother expected her home at night. And when she didn't show up,

panic settled in right off the bat. This wasn't like Regina. She was responsible, predictable. She had school in the morning. Yeah. The police were called, but at first she was just listed as a missing person. Yeah. I mean, you can't blame them. Yep. Until the next day.

No murder, no body until the next day? Yep. Her body was found in Kihi Lagoon at the very same area where Vicky Purdy had been discovered months earlier. That's crazy. Oh yeah. And this time there was similarities. Yeah. So at this point, oh, it's not a coincidence anymore. Like, Vicky... Like, we need to look back into this case. Because why... Why is this the same spot? What? Yeah.

Regina was found partially clothed. Her hands were bound behind her back. What do you think they were bound with? Yeah. Parachute cord. back. Mm-hmm. What do you think they were bound with? Yeah. Parachute cord. Yep. The same location, the same method. She had also been sexually assaulted.

Yeah. And she had also been strangled. Her school ID was still with her, tucked in her clothing. It was, that's how the police were able to identify her. And this wasn't a crime of opportunity. This was deliberate. Rehearsed ritualistic some would say. The killer had struck again.

Suddenly, the unsolved murder of Vicky Gail Purdy was no longer an isolated case. Now they had a pattern. Two women, both found in the same area, both found, assaulted, and murdered in the same fashion. Now, the Honolulu Police Department launched a task force. Quietly at first, they didn't want to cause a panic. But internally, the mood shifted. The detectives knew a serial predator was operating in Oahu. They began combing through other missing person cases. They examined bus schedules, mapped out last known locations, but there was few leads. No one saw anything, no one heard anything. Like Vicky before her, Regina had simply vanished.

Now, the press didn't go full force, not yet. But the tone did change from the first article. Teen Girl Found Dead in Lagoon was the first headline. Then quietly whispers of connections to Purdy began to surface. But the phrase serial killer hadn't entered the headlines. Not officially. The public wasn't warned. Not yet at least.

Instead the details were contained. Carefully because almost as if they said anything out loud it would make it real. Yeah, they didn't want to cause panic. They didn't want to open up anything and make everybody scared. Yeah. Now, detectives noted that Regina, like Vicky, had a similar build and age range. Both women were petite, local local or par-Asian. Both had been alone, vulnerable,

and either waiting for or walking towards transportation. So this killer wasn't just opportunistic, he was hunting. There was no suspects in Regina's case, no strange men that had been reported at the bus stop, no one matching a composite sketch, and no physical evidence that pointed towards a single person. That's so scary. Oh yeah. Cause there's this killer out there and you have nothing.

Nothing to go on. Almost as if the killer knew how to move through the island unseen. There was no fingerprints, no DNA, no clues. So there was someone experienced or maybe a bit more professional or... That's a theory. I don't know. You know. That's a theory. I don't know.

You know? Now, Regina Sakamoto was buried by her family just a few days later. Her mother was of course devastated. She called on the community to be vigilant. She begged for justice. But there would be none. Not yet. Oof.

Because just two weeks later, another body would surface. Not. It. So it went from eight months to two weeks. To two weeks. And this time, the killer left a message that even the police couldn't ignore. Okay, what was this message? We'll get into it. What? You're not gonna tell me? I mean, I'll build up to it.

I mean, if I just jump to it, I'm just like, okay, cool. Uhhh... No, I respect it. I understand. I'll tell you. I'll tell you. No, no, no. Tell me later. I mean, I'll tell you, but when we get to it, you know? Okay, got it. I mean, I'll tell you about when we get to it. Okay, got it. It's not like I'm not, I'm gonna keep it to myself like hee hee hee. No.

Like, fuck you. You don't get to know. And neither do the listeners. No, yeah. I'll tell all of you. Okay, so January 30th, 1986. The island was changing. It had just been two weeks since two women had been found dead, bound, assaulted, strangled, and discarded near Kihi Lagoon. Now the Honolulu police were starting to say it out loud, serial killer. But they couldn't say it to the public. Not

yet. And then the third body was found. Her name was Denise Hughes. And her murder shattered any lingering illusions that the deaths were coincidences. Denise Hughes was 21 years old. She worked as a telephone operator for the local communications company in Honolulu. She was hardworking, quiet, and deeply devoted to her church. Now, Denise had a reputation for being kind and dependable, the kind of woman who didn't really go looking for trouble, and she rarely broke from her routine. She lived alone, but she had a steady schedule. Every weekday, she took the city bus to and from work, blended into the working class. She was just a young woman making her own way, doing everything right.

So once again, just another girl who was trying to find her way in life. Yep. It would be on Wednesday. I was ripped from her. Oh yeah. No, I mean, it's no one here ever saw it coming. It was on Wednesday, January 29th, that Denise had gone to work. She finished her shift. And according to her routine, she was expected to head home. She often got off at a stop near Monalua, the Monalua area, and walked the rest of the way. Okay.

But she never went home that night. Ah! Mm-hmm. Now... Now it's got me wondering, like, well I know you said like he, like, kind of, the killer like probably watches them, right, and it's not like random, so I wonder how long he'd been watching her for, like how he learned her pattern and whatnot. That's a good question because you'll, Because it seems that everyone is following a routine until something goes off their routine and then he steps in

Yeah, so Her friends and co-workers knew that something was wrong When she didn't show up to work the next day? Because she was never late. She never flaked and she was never unreachable Her disappearance was reported almost immediately. Good, that's awesome. And the next morning, a group of construction workers found something. Or rather, yep. Someone. So on January 30th

in a drainage ditch along Yep, the Mauna Loa street Wrapped in blue plastic tarp was the body of Denise Hughes So his killers changed it up a little bit now. Mm-hmm. Okay. Sorry to cut you off. Go ahead.

No, no, you're fine. That's perfectly fine. She had been bound, sexually assaulted, and strangled. Just like Vicky and Regina before her. So yeah, not too different, but... Yeah. But like you mentioned, there was a new detail this time. Mm-hmm.

The tarp. Her body had been dumped and hidden in a manner that was almost, like, purposeful. Yeah. The killer had taken her and wrapped her up, like, in a tarp, as if trying to, like, delay the discovery or hide her. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what was different about this? Like, what was different? Why did this...

Hm, okay. We're not sure. Like, it was a definite change. Now, the police at this time, the police department couldn't downplay it anymore. With three women murdered in just eight months, all tied up, all strangled, and found within miles of each other, reality hit hard. A task force was officially formed involving 27 officers.

Wow, okay. Good for them. I'm glad there was a lot of support for that. In addition to that, the FBI was called in for behavioral profiling. Sick. That's what I've been doing this whole time. Yeah.

So under pressure, the department acknowledged about the growing fear, but they stopped short of calling it a serial killer to the public. I guess that makes sense. Internally, however, this was exactly what they believed to be dealing with. So once again, it's like we're not going to tell the public just to keep people from panicking, but internally we know that this is what we're dealing with. A cold, calculated predator.

Someone that knew the island well, someone who watched, waited, and as we have deduced, took his victims with precision. They began to look for patterns in bus routes, shifts in work schedule, anyone who might have seen Denise that evening. But again, like previous victims, no witnesses, no physical evidence, no clear suspects. And at this point, the media could no longer ignore the pattern. Newspapers splash headlines like, Third woman found dead in stream.

Pattern emerges. splash headlines like third woman found dead in stream pattern emerges Now even the nightly news ran features on the Honolulu rapist Yeah a term that was being used by the police internally Before the press renamed him as the Honolulu strangler Mmm They renamed him. Yeah Well, the police were internally using the name Honolulu rapist and then the public

Renamed him or I think the police renamed him the Honolulu Strangler Okay, so they just I guess guess, officially kind of switched it. Yeah, I'm not sure what the reason for the name change was. But at this point, women were warned to not travel alone at night. Parents were asked to escort their daughters to the bus stops, and locals avoided Kihi Lagoon once an area for fishing or dog walks. It was just now tainted with dread because people didn't want to be victims

or they didn't want to be the ones to discover a body. So for the first time, the island fell haunted. And with three bodies and no arrest, authorities began to profile the killer. Something that Kai has already been doing. Yeah. I like doing that. Okay, so let's see what you have on this profile, Kai, compared to the FBI. Alright, I'm down. I'm ready for this. Okay, because the FBI advised Okay, alright, I'm down, I'm ready for this.

Okay, because the FBI advised that the suspect was likely... A white male in his 30s. Okay! Am I right? Okay, so a local male. What? A local man. Yeah.

So not white, so local. Okay. Yeah. Familiar with Oahu's geography. Possibly in his 30s or 40s. 30s or 40s is what I was, yeah. Okay. Anything else you want to throw in there?

Local man, 30s or 40s. The one that was early on was his first victim and so he kind of just dumped her but he after that he realized he had a taste for killing so he started to kill more. He dumped the second one in the same spot but realized that if he wanted to kill more, which he did want to kill more because he was like getting a taste for killing he needed to hide the bodies so they wouldn't get found and And He's like probably socially awkward and That's why he that's why he doesn't like he has to strike at a time when they're not gonna expect it or when they're vulnerable Okay

Okay, well I can see where it coming from but remember that the victims didn't have like bruises or like broken nails They didn't really fight back So they knew him they either knew him or he wasn knew him. Or he wasn't a threat. Or he wasn't a threat. He was what many people describe serial killers. Charismatic, charming guy. Who blended in, yep. They also said that he could have been someone

with military connections or access to military grade given the use of the parachute cord. And the most terrifying of all, he may have already interacted with the police. Yeah, they, serial killers like to involve themselves in investigations, so... Makes sense. Yep, so... Honestly, your profile was all all like, right there.

Yeah, give me in the FBI. Like, give me in the FBI. I could do this shit. I don't know. Let's get Kai to start profiling. Yeah, please. So they looked into sex offenders, cab drivers, military personnel, even men who frequently frequent the areas near bus stops. But unfortunately, as we know, at this point, there's no solid leads. The killer had left nothing behind. Now, Denise Hugh was laid out to rest a few days later, surrounded by the church and community members.

She was now part of something much darker, unfortunately. Her friends described her as gentle, faithful, and deserving of so much more. And yet, like the other ones, she had been erased, taken by someone who viewed human lives as just disposable. Yeah. Three women, three bodies, three messages left for the world to find. At this point, the Honolulu Strangler wasn't hiding anymore. He was sending signals, and the worst was yet to come.

Fuck. So, on May 26, it had been nearly two months since the body of Denise Hube was found. At this point, the island changed. Women walked in pairs. Parents held their daughter's hand a little tighter. Good, good, good. And the Honolulu Police Department was officially hunting a serial killer. But there was no suspects.

No one had been arrested. And there was no peace. Then a fourth woman disappeared. Her name was Luis Medeiros and the killer was back. Luis was 25 years old. She lived in Wai Pao, a suburban neighborhood in Oahu, and she worked at a bank. She was known for being quiet, mild manner, and deeply family oriented. She didn't party, she didn't frequent clubs.

She was not the kind of person you'd expect to vanish into the night. Like before, the Honolulu Strangler didn't care about expectations. Luis had just flown back to Oahu from the big islands where she attended her mother's funeral. Yeah. So it had been a difficult week, emotionally exhausting. Her grief was still fresh. She had arrived at the Honolulu International Airport late, and she planned to catch a bus back home. Now, there was no records of who she spoke to after she landed.

No one remembers seeing her board a bus, and she vanished somewhere between the airport terminal and the street. One moment she was among travelers and taxis and the next she was gone. That airport sucks by the way. Sorry. Not good timing. You're good. I mean this was 1986. If it hasn't changed in like 40 years I'll take your word for it. It's gone downhill Lines are crazy TSA is like mad always yeah Mean isn't that how they always are that's true

Anyway So it would be So on April 2nd, her family reported her missing immediately. And for days, police searched for signs. She had no known enemies, no reason to run. And on April 2nd, a roadside maintenance crew working near the Waikili stream, not far from a busy highway, discovered human remains. Human remains you say, so not like a full body? I'm not sure why it was described as human remains because it was Louise's body. Okay been found. Okay Louise's body had been dumped in the brush

It had been left to decay Beneath tangle vines and rustling leaves maybe was described as remains because they had been a couple days compared to us And it also seems like this one was maybe a little more careless. Like he kind of just dumped her rather than... Rather than wrapping her and trying to hide her. Like the first two, just in a body of water. Yep. Like others, her hands had been bound.

She had been sexually assaulted. And the cause of death was strangulation. Her body was badly decomposed. The authorities couldn't determine how soon after her flight she was killed. But based on the on insect activity and environmental factors, it was likely the same night that she returned. She never even made it home. So it's, yeah. Go ahead. Yeah, no, I'll just say like what a way to go out.

Yep. Terrible. The Honolulu Police Department now fully acknowledged the presence of a serial killer. The Strangler Task Force expanded their efforts, establishing a hotline, increasing patrols at night, and warning women to avoid being alone, especially around bus stops, the airport and Waipo. But frustration grew. There was no usable fingerprints, no eyewitnesses, no surveillance cameras in most of the areas where the victims were seen.

Now, Luisa's case stunned investigators because her disappearance was so public. She had been at an airport surrounded by people. And yet she vanished. Once again, it kind of suggests boldness. Confidence. Yeah. Like she purposely went off with this guy. It was casual. And nobody bad blinked an eye. Yep. Was he posing as a cab driver? A security officer? Oh!

Someone trusted. Ohhhh. They didn't know. These are all theories of like, why are this woman so comfortable around this serial killer? Because there's no signs of fighting back. Cab driver kind of makes sense. Like, cause I'm thinking to, blanking on her name, but she took the bus and she would walk home.

Well, maybe when she went to walk home that night, something happened and she needed to get a cab and... Yeah, maybe a cab pulled to the side. He drove by. Yeah. Yeah. Maybe he's like, retired military. And he's a cab driver. Who knows? Whatever. I'm getting...

This is the FBI's problem, not me. You know, like, they didn't know. And every guest just felt like a shot in the dark. So, the media couldn't soften the blow anymore. With four women murdered, the public fear gave way to anger. And headlines now use words like serial killer and strangler. Talk radio flared with like theories. Some speculated the killer was a military man. Maybe even a police officer. Because who else could move so freely? Strike

so surgically. That also makes sense. Fuck. Like, oh, he sees a girl walking in the middle of the night. Hey, how you doing? You okay? Do you need a ride? That also makes complete sense. 1980s, a police officer approaches you at night. You're going to be like, oh, they're concerned for me.

Yeah. There's so many theories out there. At this point, the nickname the Honolulu Strangler was widely known. Reporters dug into old cold cases, residents demanded answers, and of course, the police was feeling the pressure more and more. Now detectives began compiling details, compiling detailed victim profiles looking for connections. All women were young between 17 and 36 years old. Most were petite, local, or mixed ethnicity, and all were traveling alone, typically in

transit areas. And when they were found, all were bound, raped, and strangled. Then all of them were dumped near water. The youngest was 17, so that also makes him, like, a betafile. Yeah, oh definitely, yeah. There was also no strong suspects. Tips came flooding in, but no one led to a viable arrest. They began to suspect that the killer watched the news.

Maybe even taunting them by staying ahead of the investigation. Somehow maybe involved in the investigation? Somehow maybe a police officer? So many theories. Like we said, maybe he already interacted with the police. Yeah. You know? So, Luis Medeiros was laid to rest weeks after she had returned to Oahu to bury her mother.

But now her family had lost two generations of women in less than a month. Both natural deaths and unnatural evils. Yeah. Four women, four patterns, still no trace. But the next victim would she be different. Because the killer was starting to make mistakes. Oh shit. Yeah. So by now the fear had settled into the bones of Oahu.

Four women all dead, all bound, all discarded like trash. And on April 29th, 1986, 1986, the Honolulu Strangler was about to take his fifth victim. Her name was Linda Pesh. Pesh. Yeah. And her death would finally bring the killer into focus. Now, Linda was 36 years old. She worked as a sales representative for a local company in Honolulu. She was a career-driven, independent, and known for being punctual, focused, and unapologetically self-aware. Self-sufficient, what am I saying? Same thing. She lived in Kaimiku area of Honolulu, not far from the beach. She wasn't a party goer.

She not particularly outgoing in public spaces, but she was responsible. Her routine was solid. She had structure, which was exactly what made her disappearance so terrifying. On April 29th, the night that she disappeared, that Tuesday evening, Linda told her roommate that she was going to a meeting in town and would be back later that night. She left her black two-door car and headed out alone. But the hours passed and she never came home. The next morning, her car was found abandoned on the side of the Nimitz Highway just outside of the downtown area. Unlocked. No signs of damage or theft.

Her roommate filed a missing person report immediately. And given the climate of fear on the island, police took it seriously. Good. Good. Because right off the bat, they suspected the worst. And they were right. On May 3rd, it had been four days since Linda Pesch vanished, leaving for a business meeting in Honolulu. Like I said, her car was found the next morning, doors unlocked, no signs of struggle.

And at this point, the police department was at its breaking point. The public was demanding action, five women were dead and the killer was still out there, watching, hunting. And then came a break. Or at least what seemed like one. Now, their records vary, but what is clear is either that the phone rang or that someone walked into the If you know you know why we're laughing so hard right now. Oh my god You're all great. Oh, I'm gonna be like a 10-second reset Wow, I

Marked a clip for that It's for our own use Somebody walked into the police station into the police station a man named Howard Andrew gay gay and yes, yes, and he said that he knew exactly where to find Linda Pesh Howard Andrew Gay. Gay? And yes. Nice. And he said that he knew exactly where to find Linda Pesch.

What? Okay. Yes. So the man claimed, here we go, because if you thought this story was wild, it's about to get a lot crazier. Oh, God. The man claimed that a female psychic had reached out to him, guided him through a vision that led him to a secluded stream in Milani,

the Waikakalua stream, a quiet, tangled patch of brush that was rarely visited by anyone, and when the detectives followed him, they found her. Linda Pesch. Her body was badly decomposed, hidden in the underbush. Her hands were bound. She had been raped, strangled just like the others. The detective's stomachs dropped. Either this man had talked to a real psychic or he was the one that put her there.

Yes. Thank you. Yes. Because I was going to ask, did they suspect him? Did they investigate him? Oh, definitely. Definitely. Okay. So right now I'm gonna send you a picture, now that we've covered the five victims, of the newspaper article that had the five locations of the victims. It has a picture of... Yep. Feel free to take a look at it. And it just shows where... They're not far from each other to be honest. They're definitely around the same area and it's why it costs so much fear. Okay. So it's all really close proximity to each other.

Now let's talk about Howard Gay. All right. about Howard Gay. All right. So Howard was 51 years old. He was a mechanic who lived in Waipu. He was a divorce father of five, working at a repair shop, not far from the Honolulu International Airport.

The same area where two of the previous victims had been found. Yep. Howard wasn't new to the police. He had been questioned before. Okay, for what? Yep. I mean, just previous victims in the area, he was probably in the area. But nothing stuck.

He was soft-spoken, polite, and low profile. To his neighbors, he was just another working class guy. A little odd, a little quiet, but never violent. To the detectives, he was hiding something. So they brought him in for questioning. Good. Gary was brought in the same week on May 9th. He wasn't under arrest,

but the interrogation was intense. The police kept him for hours. From 8pm to 3am. Goddamn. Yeah. Hours passed as the detectives pressed him. His story. That a psychic guided him.

That he just wanted to help. That he was in the right place at the right time. But the detectives were not buying it. No. He refused to name the psychic. His details shifted. He was nervous, sweaty, and flat toned. Who was the psychic? How did she contact him?

Why would she choose him? His answers were vague. He claimed that he didn't know her personally, just someone who reached out. He didn't have her phone number. He didn't remember her name. And like I mentioned, worst of all, his story shifted.

He contradicted himself. The details didn't add up. Then came a chilling revelation. Two women came forward. Both had been picked up by Howard Gay in recent months. Both said he drove them towards Kihi Lagoon. One woman described how he began making sexual advances. The other escaped when she felt something was off. Neither woman was harmed, but both described him the same way. Predatory, creepy, and controlling. Suddenly the man with the quote-unquote vision

looked less like a good Samaritan and more like a serial killer. Yeah. But the thing is, he was supposedly a charismatic person. So that's not really consistent. Exactly, yeah. But who knows, maybe that's how he portrayed himself, like, and I don't know.

So this man is divorced. So the investigators talked to his ex-wife and his current girlfriend. And what they revealed made the detective sick. Okay. They described Howard as a smooth talker. There we go. Someone who loved control. Especially in the bedroom.

Mm-hmm. Both his ex-wife and his current girlfriend recall being tied up during sex. Oh. Let me guess, their hands bound behind their backs? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep. It was a fetish, they said.

But to the detectives, it felt like something more. And then his girlfriend said something else. Something terrifying. On the nights that they got into fights, he would leave the house. That makes sense. Those were the same nights the murders happened. Yup. That was his trigger.

Howard checked every box on the FBI's psychological profile. Yeah. A man in his 40s or 50s, soft-spoken, able to blend in, possibly familiar with police procedures, connected to the military or airport routes, and the type to insert himself into an investigation. Detectives were not buying the psychic story. They believed Gaye wasn't having visions from psychics, that he was having flashbacks. Yeah.

Now, when the story broke, the media exploded. Headlines dominated the front pages. Killer or clairvoyant? Man's vision leads police to fifth victim. Is this the Honolulu Strangler? Prime suspect name name but no charges filed. For the first time the island had a face. A name. And for a brief moment there was hope. But it didn't last. It wasn't him.

Well despite the growing mountain of suspicion, detectives were stuck. There was no DNA, no fingerprints, no murder weapon, no confession. Just circumstantial evidence. Just that disturbing too accurate quote unquote vision. Police placed Howard under 24-hour surveillance. They assigned undercover female officers to pose as bait. Mmm, that's cool. They followed his every move, but he never slipped.

Well, yeah, at this point he knew he was being watched, so... Eventually, with no legal grounds to hold him, Howard Gay was released. At this point, he knew he was being watched, so... Eventually with no legal grounds to hold him, Howard Gay was released. And then, just like that, the murders stopped. For the rest of his life, Howard Gay maintained his innocence. He never confessed, never faced a trial, never cleared his name. He died in 2003, taking whatever truth he knew to the grave. And to this day, no one has ever been charged for the murders of Vicky, Regina, Denise, Louis, and Linda. Five women.

Five lives. Five unanswered quests for justice. And that's all I've got for tonight's case. Honestly, I'm creeped out, emotionally exhausted, and maybe just need a little comfort. Yeah, I get that. I get that completely. If listeners, if you got somebody near you, go up and hug them. Like, just take a little break, grab some water, eat a little chocolate.

Kinda reminds me of the Zodiac Killer case a bit, you know? Which we haven't covered yet. We have not. But yeah, go ahead. The suspects and like the main suspect that everybody thought, but you know, there was no actual evidence, right? Like Arthur LeAlan, who was like the main suspect, but just never caught the guy. I don't know. Crazy case.

That's the story of the Honolulu strangler. What about the that message The the message that was left Well, it's more than that. He was leaving people like that. Okay, gotcha gotcha I'm trying to hide okay. That's what it was not like a direct letter not like a letter. Okay. Yeah, sorry if there was Misguided you there. Nah, it's okay. Wow, I've never heard of this case before. I mean, I have family in Hawaii

and I kind of grew up going on trips there and I've just never heard of this. So, I'll have to look into it more maybe I'll ask some of my family members about it or something if they knew anything yeah yeah cuz honestly the more I looked into it the crazier it was because Howard Gay was never actually convicted like he was never like like anything there is a newspaper article that I found. Like, his face is never really revealed.

There's like a picture even like where he's walking out of the police station. But like, he has like a shirt over his face. Okay. So even when he walked into the police station, he was never like actually kind of identi- Like, not publicly identified. Yeah, because he was always like he was never really I Don't know got it. He was just like a person of interest Even though at this point clearly more than that. Yeah, I am taking your advice and grabbing some chocolate

Also, I never I never think to you that those chocolates that you got me super good. I'm having your chocolate right now Oh, are you is the the the the one the ice one one nice? Yeah? There's still a little bit left, so I'll have to have you try some of last okay cool Awesome yeah, how were they? good How were they? Good. Some like super unique flavors for those chocolates. Like there was the white chocolate, like coffee latte one and the, like the slight chili one and it had like the little tortilla bits in it

to give it a bit of, it's good. It's good chocolate though. Cool, good. I'm glad you enjoyed them. Thank you. All right. Now that we got that, that I glad you enjoyed them. Thank you. Ooh, all right. Now that we got that, that I got that chocolate comfort,

what do you have for us, Kai? All right. I've got a little combination of a couple of things and You'll see what I mean here in just a second but as is the fashion of our true crime cases, I'd also sort of like to Set a bit of a scene, right? Yeah, go for it. So Imagine you know, it's a dark night, maybe it's the weekend, you and your friends

have decided that you're gonna go on a little adventure, right? And where do you choose to go? The forest. Of course. In the middle of the night. I feel like that's very... I wouldn't say that's very common, but that's... Not unusual, I would say.

Right, right. I agree. I do know. You know, normal forest. Super creepy vibes. It's dark, right, but as you walk inside You know it's pretty quiet. Maybe the the chatter of Crickets or whatever animals live in the forest. I should know this I work in parks What's awake at night who knows um yeah actually what's awake at night Kai? knows? Um... Yeah, actually what's awake at night, Kai?

Oh, you don't want to know. Hahaha. Um, but as you're walking through, you know, a faint sound sort of reaches your ears. Definitely too quiet to make out at first. Um... But then it becomes kind of unmistakable.

You know? Maybe just the wind, um, rustling the leaves, but then it gets closer. It gets louder, and you realize that you are hearing screams. No, I thought that's what was happening. I don't know. Raw screams, pain, anguish, whatever it may be. I'm okay hearing animals in a dark forest. I'm not okay hearing people in a dark forest.

Especially screams. But now like you're kind of curious, you're really fucking scared. Somebody out there, are you alone in the woods, but actually with something else? Chasing you? Who knows? What do you do, Jay? Would you go up and investigate

or would you get the fuck out of there? Okay, first off, okay, I think there's a couple questions to this. Because you said, okay, I'm going to put myself in this situation. It's late at night, weekend. I go into the forest with some friends. Okay. Yeah.

So, in my head, the friends I go into the forest are trustworthy. Mm-hmm. Okay, cool. Go as a group then, I guess? Yeah. Okay, cool. Go as a group then? Yeah, but at the same time if there's a scream What kind of scream is it someone in pain is It someone running away from something or is it? Something inhumane

Well, that's not exactly what you're sure of. Either way, okay, if I hear a scream and I don't know what it is, I'm out. But I think I would be, I would probably run back to the car, turn the car on, and then wait to see if I see anything in the forest. I wouldn't just drive away. I have curiosity. I would want to know what that screen is. Oh, yes you do.

We've talked about this briefly and other things like if there was a demon or some shit, you'd probably go in there to like check it out. I don't know. Yeah, I wouldn't say like in the forest because I'm like first of all I don't know what it is But I would say in my car ready to hit the gas if I needed to. Got it. But also like I want to see what it is. Well, I mean, I guess this experience has I mean, I guess this experience has, this situation, something like it at least, has probably been experienced in at least a few different places around the world.

Because for today's paranormal case, I'm going to be covering the Screaming Woods phenomenon. Wait, what? Yeah. I've never heard of this. naming woods phenomenon. Wait, what? Yeah. I've never heard of this. And I like to believe that I am well versed in my like, paranormal like things. So, wait, wait.

I am very, very intrigued by this guy. Okay, cool. Glad. Glad you are. Okay, so if, okay. Um, let's go to the woods. So, forests are already kind of creepy, just like, existing at night, right? Um, but today I'm going to be talking about three of probably the most chillingilling creepy ass forests that are out there. Okay. Are they near us? Not really That's like a relief for us like okay, we need a road trip It depends on what their stories like so go ahead. Mm-hmm. So

The one thing that these forests have in common are stories of screams, you know, being heard at night. Figures, shadows being seen in the distance, running, stalking even. And an overall just sense of overwhelming dread. Something watching you, something lingering, something malevolent. Nothing good. So these three forests that I'm going to be talking about are the Pluckley Screaming Woods in England, the Freetown Fall River State Forest in Massachusetts, and Okegahara Forest in Japan. Okay, so realistically, Massachusetts is the closest one.

Yeah, yeah. That's why I was like not sort of not really Okay. All right. So first we're going to England. Okay The heart of England. It's a village called pluckly Just a funny ass name for a village Toon character's name. Mm-hmm. Pluckly? Yeah.

Like a bird's name. It's a bird's name. Yeah. Um, so, Pluckly, it's actually a village, it's known as the most haunted village in England. Oh. But, the village itself is not exactly what we're going to be focusing on here. It's known as the most haunted village in England, but The village itself is not exactly what we're going to be focusing on here You know the village has definitely some bit of history that gives it the connotation, but Located just a few miles away from that village are the pluckly screaming woods, and that's really

Really where things you know get kind of crazy. When you name a fort like the woods when you add the name screaming into it it's already bad. So technically it's called the Daring Woods after like a local family the daring family that used to live there, but it's nicknamed the screaming woods Which goes to show that like that's how people view it locals Coming from the locals. That's yeah. Yeah. Yeah so of course There's those screams right there's the

the rustling the figures that have been seen just in general. But there is a little bit of history that actually follows this. So, going back all the way to 1948 is where I would like to start with some history for this forest. Now in 1948, it was Tuesday, November 2nd, a local resident of Pluckley went to take their dog out on a walk, um, in the forest. And at approximately 8 a.m. on Monday, 7, 8 a.m. around there, 20 bodies were discovered. No. We said we were talking about screams Well, where do you think those screams came from?

Okay Not where this was I not where this I thought this was going okay So yeah, this was known as the massacreacre in the Daring Woods. It was five families that were killed. Of the 20 bodies, 11 of them were children. Oh my God. And they were all identified as members of residents in the surrounding areas. So mainly Maltmans Hill, which was a close by village as well.

Now these bodies weren't just sort of around, they were actually piled sort of onto each other. Which meant that they were manipulated, you know, by people, likely more than one person. Oh. But nothing ever really came of it. There were no evidence, nobody was identified, no wounds were even on the body. Okay. So there was some sort of explanation from the coroner that, I don't know, maybe it was just carbon monoxide poisoning, which to me doesn't make sense, they're in the forest. Yeah.

I don't know. Yeah. And so, sorry, it was Monday, November 1st when this happened, not November 2nd. But, um... I like how we're... Sorry, I just like how we're talking about, like, what? 1920-something? 1948. 1948. And I like how the records are so specific that they give you, like, the day of the week. Yeah. No, it's kind of funny.

I like how like there's specific records like that. Yeah. So November 1st is when it was discovered, but the night before, which was Halloween night of 1948, October 31st, locals actually reported lights and sounds that were sort of coming from the woods. There was no explanation for it,

but of course the next morning is when they discover all of these dead villagers. Who knows? But that was 1948 and the years went on. You know, people kind of moved on from this massacre, but the forest was always stained with what happened. And it would become even more stained when 50 years later in 1998,

four students went missing in the screaming woods and they were never seen again. Wait like not even bodies Nothing It was the mysterious disappearance go ahead do you know how big this forest is Not like I am gonna have any idea once you tell me, but just for any listeners that might be more familiar with forest sizes than I am. Let's see. 308 acres, according to Google AI. So who knows? Maybe that's maybe that's correct. That's not.

Yeah, that's a lot. 310 acres somewhere on there. Yeah. Yeah. Um, it was 1994, 1998. So yeah, 50 years after that. Um, but for students, they went hiking in the So yeah, 50 years after that. But four students, they went hiking in the woods, they disappeared and they were never seen again.

So the Pluckley Screaming Woods, they got a reputation for death, for things going wrong, for maybe the the hauntings of these people that lost their lives. You say there's a reputation for death. Were those the only two incidents? I mean I'm assuming that there was maybe like smaller ones but were those like the two larger ones? Yes, yeah. Okay. Yeah, so there was I'm sure other stuff that happened, but those are the two main incidents of the earlier history.

Mm-hmm. And so, people of course have gone there to explore, to do paranormal investigations. Check it out. To take their stones and rituals and Ouija boards and everything. Yeah. So in 2013 a paranormal investigator, I believe a team of paranormal investigators, they went out on a late night investigation. They were walking along one of the woodland paths when they suddenly heard a loud anguished

scream. It was also then followed by the sound of galloping hooves as if an animal was charging through the trees. Okay. charging through the trees. Okay. They... Is there... I don't know if you know anything about the animals in that forest, but is there anything large?

Likely. I mean, it's a forest in Massachusetts, so there's probably some big, you know, like moose and stuff in there bears but um They went closer to the sound right? Yeah, they were the ones who went up in there apparently what they saw hidden

deep in the woods a figure that was standing by a tree staring into the distance an 18th century man Okay dressed in ragged clothes and a hat they tried to approach him I Was gonna be like a pilgrim Kind of yeah, sorry, I'm just like trying to figure it like in my head. I'm just like Yeah, like one of those triangle like yeah like yeah They tried to approach him they disappeared and he disappeared into thin air so okay the

Investigators they got the hell out of that. They decided to leave. Interesting. Yeah. Now another, um, there's a sighting of a woman in a flowing white dress. Uh, this happened in 2015. Um, there was a solo hiker, her name was Sarah. She went into the woods just before it got really dark. Side note, why would you ever go hiking in the forest alone? Like I don't understand that. Please have a buddy with you. Listen, what year was this?

19, 2015, sorry. Oh, people should know better by then. Yeah, yeah. Nevermind. Yeah. Apparently she walked deep into the forest and as she got deeper, she felt a strange coldness settle over her. And after a few minutes, she turned to notice a woman in a flowing white dress standing by a tree. Her hair fluttering in the breeze, but she was expressionless. You know her face was pale Apparently the hiker approached this woman and

She just felt an overwhelming sense of dread you know something wash over her The hiker looked away. She looked back and this woman was gone Mm-hmm. Now apparently there is a local legend of a bride who drowned in the river that's nearby to the forest and apparently her spirit is said to haunt the woods in search of connection. Why is there a bride in the forest? I guess they were going to get married. Okay, was it like a forest wedding? I guess so, yeah. Okay? I guess so yeah. Okay I can see that. Yeah something like that. So that's the pluckly Screaming Woods in England.

Kind of insane backstory you know with the murders that the massacre that happened. That wasn't like there was no soft Like way to say it you're like no they walk in and they were like what 20 bodies 20 bodies. Yes Yeah And I thought we're gonna be talking about screams in forest not yeah But something has to linger in the forest for the screams to be made Yeah, whatever. If we ever go hiking, I love going off the beaten path, so be aware.

I'll bring some bear spray and a knife and a baton and a taser. And everything. Anyway. Fair, fair. Moving on. Just be like, hey Kai, do you have it? You're like, I got it. Don't even finish the sentence. Anything you need, right here. Moving on from England.

We go to Massachusetts. The Freetown Fall River State Forest. Now this does also have a bit of history. Yeah, we go to Massachusetts, the Freetown Fall River State Forest. Now this does also have a bit of history to it, right? Once again, it's just a beautiful, shady forest, right? And appears pretty much normal, except for the fact that it's also sort of known for its horrifying stories.

Its nickname is the Cursed Forest of Massachusetts. Can we have like a nice nickname for a forest? Nope, sorry about that. Like I understand that like, yeah forest sure why is it cursed Kai? Because there's also a lot of shit that happened at this far. Okay who found what? No. Oh no. No, no, no, it's not like that crazy. Well, no, it actually. Okay, the other one was known as the, what was the other one known as?

The Screaming Woods, the Pluckley Screaming Woods. This one is known as the Cursed Woods. The Cursed Woods, yeah. So I don't know which one I'd rather be at. I don't know. So in also November, but November of 1978, God, there's also no good way to put this. A local 15 year old girl, her name was Mary Lou Arruda, was found tied to a tree in the woods. Dead. She recently was abducted from a nearby town, Raynham, and so there was a search for her

for about two months or so, nothing happened. Oh no. But eventually she was found tied up to that tree. And that really was the start of, that was the first major sort of murder the first one that that happened documented that was documented yeah because I mean later on there were others that were investigated as well in 1980 when police were inverting investigating yet another murder near the forest. A lot of locals came in with tips to the police,

claiming that they saw Satanic cult activity in the woods. What year was this? 1980. Is that during the Satanic panic? Is it? I don't know. Maybe. Who knows? Yeah.

Okay. Okay, cool. Satanic cult. Yeah. Spot out at the forest. Yeah. And that was so alarming because during that time, there were a lot of killings known as the Fall River cult killings.

Oh, wait. What? Yes. So the Fall River cult killings were a period of murders that happened during the same time in 1980. And so there was a lot of, I guess, connection there. There was a lot of fear of the Satanic cult. Police went out to investigate. You know, they found suspicious clearings stained with animal blood. Carcasses of cattle discovered in the woods.

So there was belief that there were, you know, ritual sacrifices that were going on. Cool. We got cultists in the forest. Now, I mentioned that was just the start of the murders, because there was also three more that happened in later years. Massachusetts? Yeah. Yeah. What is going on?

1987. There was a homeless man who was killed in the forest. I believe he was mistaken as an undercover cop for some reason. And I think maybe it was a criminal who was on the run, something like that, not really too great of details. Okay, so someone that was like, what's the word, someone that was like hysteric and they're like, you're like a cop.

Yeah, exactly. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So 1987 is when that man was murdered. And then in 2001, there were two men who were found shot. Apparently they were riddled with bullet holes on a road that winds through the woods. There wasn't much investigation of that.

I don't believe they found anybody. They didn't find much to go off of but it just adds on to the fact that a lot of Murders happened in this fucking forest. Yeah Other incidents happened no, so that is the last Documented murder that happened. I mean, it's a big forest. Exactly.

Also, I know that this is not like the true crime aspect of it, but do we know who tied up that little girl? Yeah, so his name was... I have it here. His name was James M. Cater. Okay. He... Just curious about that. Yeah.

So it took a while to get him eventually convicted, but they did. Okay. Yeah. Because it's horrible. For the kidnapping and murder. Yes. So they eventually found him, which is awesome. Yeah.

So... Yes. Those are some of the murders that happened at this forest. Mm-hmm. Which led to giving the nickname of the Curse Forest because what happens? Well, in 2004, there was a couple

who was visiting the forest. They were walking along the semi-popular ledge road but it was a quiet evening they're kind of alone why do people go to the forest at night freaky yeah yeah they do either that or they're camping it's one or the other. Probably both, honestly. Yeah. Or you know, you're driving on the road and you have to go use the restroom. That's true. So, this couple, they go into the woods.

Of course, they've heard the legends, but... Or they've heard the stories, but they dismiss it as, you know, legend, whatever. Yeah. So they go deeper into the woods. But, um... as, you know, legend, whatever. So they go deeper into the woods. But apparently, as they went deeper, of course, they heard those loud, shrill screams.

And once again, they moved toward it. They tried to locate what was going on. But they described that as they were moving towards the screams, it seemed like it was moving away from them. Like something maybe just running out of reach. I don't like that. Pulling them deeper into the woods. And they knew this.

They felt like they were being lured into a trap. So they turned around and got the fuck out of there. Good for them. Did they make it out? They did. They did. Okay. Yeah. Um... Is there recordings of the screams?

Um... There's some at the the England the pluckly forest Apparently there are some EVPs out there. I was trying to find them. I okay. I kind of really get them. That's fine But they're out there some but they're out there somewhere Yeah So you know more people have gone? shadowy figures footsteps scream And that leads us to our third forest. This one is located in Japan. You and a lot of our listeners probably know about this forest. It's the Aokigahara Akihara forest known as the Sea of Trees but more

Infamously, it's known as Japan's suicide forest Yep, I Did not know that this was a screaming forest as well though. Mm-hmm. I Don't think I really need to explain Why there's some history? You do? I really need to explain why there's some history. You do.

Well, unfortunately- There's listeners that might not know, Kai. Unfortunately, it's called the suicide forest for a reason. It is a pretty remote forest located in Japan, and it is Japan's number one area where suicides are found. Japan's number one area where suicides are found. And it still really has been for the longest time. Japanese officials have done their best to combat it, to prevent it, but it still remains a place where people go to spend their final moments. But its history and really its death doesn't actually start with the modern suicide. Back during that time, or I guess back a long time ago sorry let me find the word

I'm looking for right now yeah yeah I'm like trying to figure out what you're trying to say but don't know the history. Oh my God, oh my God. I lost it, where did my tab go? It's a mystery. The last tab. History of the what? The last tab. I had everything and then I had to close it all because of the stuff that happened earlier.

It's fine. Come back next week listeners and we might find that tab. Yeah, we might find it. Um. No, you're good, you're good. I will do small talk with the listeners meanwhile. If you or a loved one is in need of some hydration, please hydrate them.

So, okay, got it. Back in around the 1800s, there was a practice. It was called, sorry I have to butcher this, Ubastete? U-B-A-S-U-T-E. And it was essentially a form of abandoning the elderly. And it wasn't the most common practice, but it is something that had happened. So apparently back in the 1800s, the forest was used to practice this. Essentially it's the abandonment, death, or suicide of the elderly. So families,

they would take their elders out into the woods and they would leave them there to die. What happened to respect your elders? I have no clue. When did that kick in? Wow, okay. Different times I guess. Yeah, so they were deaths. I'm assuming it wasn't a common practice, right? No, I mean it wasn't the most common, but I mean it happened more than it should have. It happened more than it should've. Yeah, okay. So the Japanese suicide force, unfortunately, has a long history of death. Of death. Of death, yeah.

Yeah. Go ahead. At least, if not before that, yeah. Yeah, and so over the years, while maybe there haven't been so many direct hauntings or paranormal sightings, there have been, of course, people who have walked through and they've heard these loud screams. They've heard footsteps, things almost following them. You know, this heavy, looming feeling of being in these woods. In 2012, there was sort of a story of a lost hiker.

So he was a tourist. He came to the forest for a hike. He went there for its beauty, for its haunting story, but he didn't expect to feel the oppressive, the dread. Yeah, the dread. So apparently he heard the sounds of bird calls that were happening. But then the bird calls turned into sort of human? And eventually, he started to resemble the voice of someone calling his name.

Nope. And they only got closer. You know, those whispers, they kind of got louder, but there was nobody around As much as I love nature It's scary Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So I will Do my best to not travel by myself on nature. Yes, nature is very scary.

And so this tourist, he comes out, he tells the locals of what happened, and this leads me into the story of yurei in Japanese folklore. So yure are known as restless spirits who were killed, maybe in anger, and they're still trying to find revenge essentially on the living. And so these yure are said to populate this forest. Maybe they're the spirits of all of the people that have passed away. Maybe they're the spirits of all of the people that have passed away. Maybe they're the spirits of the old elderly used to be there who were angry at their families

for abandoning them. And so these yure are said to want to lure the living people into the forest to kill them, to trap them in the very same fate that the Ure are stuck in. And ultimately that's what connects these three forests here. That's what makes them the Screaming Woods phenomenon. Not the Ure specifically, but the fact that it's widely believed that the screams, the figures, the hauntings are just the spirits of all the people that died, that passed away, that never got those proper closures that they needed. And maybe they're still angry or sad or searching for something like the bride who was, you know, going to get married there in the forest.

So ultimately, these three forests have such a crazy history all on their own and you know, they're so far apart in the world that they maybe don't seem like they should be connected at first. A lot of people think they may share some sorts of energy. You know, interconnected portals even. My God, what? Yeah, you know, like how how there's like portals of energy between different haunted locations, like how people have a theory that.

Our haunted location is a portal. I guess so, yeah, yeah. You know how people get with their theories. Yeah, yeah. But, um. So they have like the same theories that this forest have, portals or have become portals or they have portals from the start. Vortexes, things like that.

Yeah. Or even that like the stories, you know, sort of kind of contribute to furthering the belief, right? There was, didn't we cover a case of, oh shoot, maybe we haven't covered it yet. But there was one house that someone believed the house to be like a vortex or a portal. Yeah. that someone believed the house to be like a vortex or a portal. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, yeah. So, yeah, okay, I see. But in this case, rather than a house haunting, it's a forest haunting. Yeah.

Which, okay, I see that now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That makes sense. So there is one sort of scientific explanation that kind of backs it in a way it maybe explains a bit of the the same dreadful feeling that is shared between these forests Okay, it's something known as infrasound so it's low Frequencies that aren't like actually audible to the human ear

But apparently there have been studies that these low frequencies cause feelings of dread, anxiety, even hallucinations. And so maybe these are shared sounds between these forests that people feel and therefore are contributing to those feelings. Are infrasounds... Okay, so are infrasounds like a real thing? Yes, infrasounds are real things. Okay, do we know what causes them? Or is it just like a natural phenomenon

that we don't know? Various natural and human-made sources. Interesting, huh. natural and human-made sources. Okay. Interesting. Huh. Yeah. That's concerning. It is. Because it makes me wonder where else

is there like infrasound that we're not aware of? Oh, it's probably in a lot of places. Yeah. I wonder if like, oh, they should do a study on that. Like go to popular haunted places and like test for infrasounds. Yeah. Oh, that'd be a cool, that would be a cool like thing to test. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

See if it has, yeah. Wow. I would be interested in that to be honest. Yeah. I'm also curious because the way I see it, it's like, okay, it's kind of like a dog whistle. I was like, we can't hear it, but it's there. But the only difference is that it actually affects our mood.

Affect can cause hallucinations. Is that for like long exposures to it? Or is it just like depending on the individual? I mean, I'm not entirely sure like I don't know like I'm literally trying to test you like you're the one that did the like Did the studies like in the? You're fine Yeah, no, I didn't really look too far into it. Okay So who knows maybe maybe, maybe it was. Not sure.

Cool. But, other than that, that concludes my story. Screaming Forests. The Screaming Woods phenomenon. Now, if you had to pick a forest to visit, would it be the Curse Forest, the Screaming Forest, or the suicide forest? Um... It would probably be the suicide forest, I think.

Okay, yeah, same. Like, not to do anything there, but I wanna walk through it, and like, I wanna see all the signage, and you know. Not bump into someone, but say I've walked through the suicide forest. Yeah. I do think it would be kinda cool though to like, as morbid as it sounds, like go through the pluckly forest and go to the area where those like 20 bodies were found. Do we know the area? Like to this day, is there records of like what, is it marked or anything like that? I doubt it's marked because I doubt they like want to encourage people to go to it, but

I'm sure people know where it's at. Like if you ask like a local, they're gonna be like, oh, we're not gonna really talk about it, but blah, blah, blah. Okay. No, that would be interesting to know. Focus! Pluckley Forest, the suicide forest, and the screaming forest.

Yeah. Once again, I would walk into a forest, and the screaming forest. Yeah. Once again, I would walk into a forest, I would not follow the screaming, but I would linger around to see if anything comes out of the forest. I think that's a good compromise between running in and running out. Like you just run out a little and stay in your car.

I'm gonna be like, is there anything that's gonna like come out of the forest? Because if there is, I'm going to step on the gas. Oh, did you ever see that they made a movie about the suicide forest? Did you ever watch it? No, actually. Yeah, it's it's a horror movie, obviously. Makes sense. But, yeah. Honestly, I think it's made more to be like a psychological thriller than like a normal one.

That makes sense, yeah. But yeah. So that's the only reason I knew of it. And the whole like, controversy of like the whole youtuber filming someone there and things like that anyway Yeah, thank you. Yeah screaming forest you will not find me in forest you might you might find us there Yeah, yeah You will not find me on my own. Yeah, you will not find me on my own either Exactly, that's yeah

All right. Well, thanks for being here folks. Let us know what you think of this episode. Questions, concerns, if you would go to the forest yourselves, let us know. If you have experience with the forest, if you like live near them, that would be awesome. Let us know some stories. Because there's so many interesting things that happen in the forest, not just like the disembodied screams, but like so many, I think there's so many paranormal aspects and like things that happen in forests, like skinwalkers. Forests are scary places, man.

Yeah. Like I work in forests, but my forests I work in are pretty small, so I don't really have to worry about them too much and I'm never there at night. It's always during the day, like in the morning, so you know. Yeah. I don't know. I love them, but during the day. Agreed.

Agreed. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for tuning in, folks. We'll see you next week See ya. Bye. Bye Smurf Ahhhh

That was weird, I'm sorry. Don't listen to that Goodbye Thanks for listening to Chambers of the Occult. For photos, sources, and anything else mentioned during the episode, check out our website at chambersoftheoccult.com. You'll find everything you need there if you do find yourself wanting more. You can also follow us on all of our socials at Chambers of the Occult and on Twitter at COTOPodcast. If you have any questions, comments, recommendations, personal anecdotes, or concerns, let us know. Fill out our contact form on our website, email us at chambersoftheoccult.gmail.com,

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