Horror logo

Famous Ghosts with Horrific Origin Stories

How did these ghosts come to haunt? Here are a few of the most famous ghosts with horrific origin stories.

By Joseph FarleyPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
Top Story - October 2017
1

Most people have heard of a notorious ghost or two, but they probably aren't familiar with how that ghost came to haunt that particular location. If you've ever seen the hit horror show Supernatural on CW then you know that determining the origins of the haunting is the only way to stop it permanently. Granted, it's a television show, but it makes some sense. Think of it how a detective might work a murder case.

Ghosts and other spirits are said to be created when somebody dies in a particularly gruesome or horrible way, and with many of these famous ghosts with horrific origin stories, that is precisely the case.

It makes perfect sense that some of these grisly cases have led to extreme hauntings and other paranormal events. Now, without any further delay, here is the horrifying list of notorious ghost origins.

Chloe from the Myrtles Plantation

The Myrtles Plantation is one of the most haunted places in America. So, it's perfectly fitting its home to one of the famous ghosts with horrific origin stories. The amount of pain and human suffering that took place at this slave plantation in Louisiana could be an article itself. But for this, lets focus on Chloe.

Chloe is thought to be one of those slaves who met a horrible end. Chloe was the mistress of the master of the plantation, Judge Clarke Woodruff, and she developed a habit of eavesdropping on conversations. When he caught her, Woodruff cut off her ear and sent her back to work in the fields.

Desperate to get back in with Woodruff, Chloe baked a cake for his daughter's birthday and slipped in some poison in hopes of saving her and becoming a hero in his eyes. The poison killed his daughter and his wife, leading Woodruff to hang her and toss her body in the river.

In the years since, some pretty convincing photographs have captured Chloe on the plantation — some of the clearest evidence of ghosts ever documented.

Marion Parker

Twelve-year-old Marion Parker was kidnapped by Edward Hickman in 1927. Hickman planned on ransoming her back to her rich father, but he lost his temper when he caught young Marion writing a letter to her family.

Hickman strangled Marion and then cut off her arms and legs with a razor blade. He still wanted his ransom though, so he dressed Marion up to look like she was still alive — even stitching her eyes open.

He then drove to the rendezvous point and made the hand off with her father. He soon discovered that what he had paid for was not his daughter, but her mutilated body. Hickman would eventually be caught for murder, but the ghost of Marion has been haunting the area ever since.

Multiple sightings of the little girl have been reported over the years — mostly at her childhood home in Los Angeles, California. A child only makes this entry on the list of famous ghosts with horrific origin stories all the more sad.

Grace Brown

Grace Brown was 19 when she met Chester Gillette in 1905. Chester was charming and wealthy and they began seeing each other — but not exclusively. Chester didn't want to commit, he had affairs going with many other young women. So, he decides to take Grace on a trip to upstate New York.

Grace figured the trip to the Adirondack Mountains might be where Chester might pop the question. He didn't. The two rented a rowboat and went out on the lake — Grace never returned.

The police found her lifeless body in the lake, and a few days later, they found Chester in a nearby hotel room. Chester claimed that Grace killed herself when he told her that he no longer loved her. Cops didn't buy it — he died in the electric chair.

However, Grace's spirit remains at Big Moose Lake, haunting the shores and spooking visitors for over a century. To make matters worse in terms of famous ghosts with horrific origin stories, Grace Brown was pregnant at the time of her death.

Toni Jo Henry

Toni Jo Henry had a tough upbringing, leading her to cocaine addiction and prostitution by the age of 17. She worked at a brothel where she eventually met Claude Henry — the two fell in love and got hitched.

However, Henry had a sordid past. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison for killing a cop in Texas before the two met. Toni Jo was determined to bust him out of prison, one way or another.

On her way hitchhiking to Texas, she came across a guy that offered her a ride. The man, J. P. Crowley, had made a grave error in judgement. Toni Jo pulled a pistol on him and shot him right between his eyes.

Afterwards, she went to a roadhouse where she got blotto drunk and spilled the beans of what she'd done. She was convicted of murder in 1942 and became the first woman in the state of Louisiana to be executed via the electric chair — one of the grisliest endings for any of these famous ghosts with horrific origin stories.

Her ghost still resides in the Calcasieu Courthouse, where her voice can be heard screaming throughout the halls. Legend has it you can even still smell her perfume, and, on certain days, her burnt hair...

Prince Suleyman

New Orleans is one of the more haunted towns, making it fertile ground for famous ghosts with horrific origin stories. Prince Suleyman was known as the "Sultan" and his wild parties were legendary.

During the mid 1800s, he was said to have orgies and all types of other taboo gatherings at his hotel. Then, one morning, the place was disturbingly quiet. Alarmed, police arrived and stumbled upon a horrifying scene: dead people were everywhere.

Creepier yet, the "Sultan" had been buried alive in the yard. At the time, police blamed the carnage on pirates and didn't do much about it. But, it is more likely that the "Sultan" was actually the brother of real royalty, and he may have stolen quite a bit of his brother's money and fled the country.

To avoid execution, he settled in New Orleans. He couldn't escape his past, and his brother eventually tracked him down. All these years later, the sounds of partying can still sometimes be heard at 716 Dauphine Street. And, on certain nights, the "Sultan" himself makes an appearance.

1

About the Creator

Joseph Farley

Joseph Farley is a North Jersey based writer who loves short fiction and stand-up comedy

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.