
The Most Disturbing Wikipedia Pages
Genie (feral child)
Genie (a pseudonym) was a girl discovered in 1970 in Arcadia, California, at age 13 after being brutally isolated and starved, strapped either to a potty chair or a crib, and forbidden to speak by her abusive father for almost her entire life. Her treatment resulted in severe physical and linguistic deprivation. She was subsequently placed under intensive study and gained some vocabulary and basic communication skills, but failed to acquire normal grammar. Her case became known as one of the "worst cases of child abuse" in the US, and ultimately raised ethical concerns about the treatment of vulnerable subjects and their rights.
Toy-Box Killer
David Parker Ray, who was given the moniker the "Toy‑Box Killer," was an American kidnapper, serial rapist, and suspected serial killer who abducted and brutalized women — primarily sex workers— in a soundproofed trailer he dubbed his 'Toy Box' near Elephant Butte, New Mexico. Though he never faced murder charges and no bodies were found, Ray claimed to have abducted 40 victims. He was convicted in 2001 of kidnapping and torture based on survivor testimonies, receiving a sentence of over 223 years, and died of a heart attack in prison in 2002.
Murder of Sylvia Likens
Sylvia Likens was a 16‑year‑old from Indiana who, over the summer of 1965, endured escalating torture at the hands of her caregiver, Gertrude Baniszewski (pictured above), Gertrude's children, and neighborhood kids. The abuse — which included beatings, burnings, starvation, and sexual humiliation — resulted in over 150 wounds and eventually led to her death from a subdural hematoma, shock, and malnutrition. In May 1966, Gertrude was convicted of first‑degree murder, and her daughter Paula received a second‑degree murder conviction; both were reportedly sentenced to life in prison.
Christine Chubbuck
Christine Chubbuck was a TV news reporter in Sarasota, Florida, who was the first person to die by suicide on live television. On July 15, 1974, during a live broadcast of the show Suncoast Digest, she announced, "In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in 'blood and guts,' and in living color, you are going to see another first — attempted suicide," before pulling out a gun from under her desk and shooting herself in the head. Chubbuck died about 14 hours later, and her death sparked enduring discussions around mental health and ethical boundaries in broadcasting.
Murder of Junko Furuta
Junko Furota was a Japanese high school student who was abducted, raped, tortured, and then subsequently murdered in 1989 by four teenage boys over the course of 44 days. Some of the horrific acts she was subjected to included being repeatedly burned, beaten, forced to drink her own urine, and then fatally set on fire. Her case was often referred to as the 'concrete-encased high school girl murder case,' because her body was discovered packed in concrete inside a dumped oil drum. The case became widely known not only due to the extremely graphic nature of the repeated beatings and sexual assaults she endured, but also the belief from the public that the perpetrators received lenient sentences.
Hello Kitty murder case
The Hello Kitty murder case is one of Hong Kong's most infamous crime cases. In 1999, a 23-year-old nightclub hostess named Fan Man-yee was abducted by three men — Chan Man-lok, Leung Wai-lun, and Leung Shing-cho — after she stole a wallet from Chan, a member of a Chinese organized crime syndicate. They held her captive in an apartment for several weeks, where she endured horrific torture, including beatings, sexual assault, and burns, ultimately leading to her death from traumatic shock.
Fan's captors dismembered her body, sewing her skull into a Hello Kitty doll, which gave the case its name. The crime came to light when a 14-year-old girl involved in the case (who was being groomed by one of the perpetrators) reported it to the police. The three men were convicted of manslaughter in 2000 and sentenced to life in prison.
Unit 731
Unit 731 was a covert biological and chemical warfare unit of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, based in occupied Manchuria (present-day China). Operating under the guise of epidemic prevention, it conducted brutal human experiments on civilians and prisoners of war, including vivisection, forced infection with deadly diseases, and frostbite testing. These experiments led to the deaths of an estimated 300,000+ people.
After the war, the U.S. granted immunity to many Unit 731 members in exchange for their research data, allowing key figures like Ishii to avoid prosecution. The unit's atrocities remain one of the most horrifying examples of wartime human experimentation.
Murder of Shanda Sharer
In 1992, 12-year-old Shanda Sharer was abducted, tortured, and murdered by four teenage girls, Melinda Loveless, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey, and Toni Lawrence, in Madison, Indiana. The crime was driven by Loveless's jealousy over Sharer's relationship with her ex-girlfriend, Amanda Heavrin. Under the guise of taking Sharer to meet Heavrin, the girls lured her into their car and subjected her to hours of brutal torture, including beating, stabbing, strangulation, and sexual assault. Eventually, they set her on fire while she was still alive.
All four girls were tried as adults and accepted plea deals: Loveless and Tackett received 60-year sentences (paroled after 26 and 25 years, respectively), Rippey was sentenced to 35 years (paroled after 14), and Lawrence received 20 years (paroled after 9). As of 2019, all four girls, now women, have been released from prison.
Kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard
On June 10, 1991, 11‑year‑old Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted while walking to a school bus stop in Meyers, California. Her captors, Phillip and Nancy Garrido, held Jaycee for the next 18 years in concealed tents and sheds in the backyard of their home in Antioch, California. Phillip, a convicted sex offender, repeatedly raped Jaycee during the first six years of her captivity, leading to the birth of her two daughters when she was just 14 and 17 years old. Over the years, numerous people actually saw Jaycee, and there were even several missed rescue opportunities.
Then, in August 2009, during a visit to UC Berkeley with Jaycee's daughters, campus police officers became suspicious of Phillip and ran a background check, which ultimately led to Jaycee's rescue and the arrest of the Garridos. Phillip Garrido was sentenced to 431 years to life, and Nancy to 36 years to life in prison. Since her return, Jaycee has written memoirs, founded the JAYC Foundation supporting trauma survivors, and focused on rebuilding her life with her daughters.
Tarrare
Tarrare was an 18th-century Frenchman who was said to have had an insatiable appetite and ability to eat nearly anything — live animals, stones, garbage. Despite his extreme eating habits, he remained slim. He served in the French Revolutionary Army and underwent medical experiments after eating enough for 15 people and swallowing a wooden box to test his use as a courier. Captured during a mission, he was eventually returned and expelled from the hospital after being suspected of eating a one-year-old child. He died of tuberculosis in 1798, and his autopsy revealed an abnormally large stomach and digestive system.
Anneliese Michel
Anneliese Michel was a German woman who, despite being diagnosed with epilepsy and psychiatric disorders, became convinced, along with her parents, that she was actually possessed. After years of failed treatment, two priests performed 67 exorcisms over 10 months during which Anneliese ceased eating and exhibited extreme self-harm. She died from malnutrition and dehydration in 1976. Her parents (pictured above with a photo of Anneliese) and the priests were later convicted of negligent homicide. The case led to changes in exorcism practices and inspired several films, including The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
Scaphism
Scaphism was an allegedly ancient method of execution — aka "the boats" — whereby a victim was trapped between two narrow boats, one inverted on top of the other, with their limbs and head left exposed, then force-fed and smeared with milk and honey. This would leave the victim exposed to insects and vermin that would eat them alive over several days.
Human radiation experiments
There were a number of human radiation experiments, mostly conducted in the U.S. from the 1940s to the 1970s, that exposed vulnerable people — including hospital patients, children, pregnant women, and prisoners — to radioactive substances without consent. These experiments, done by government agencies and universities, involved practices like directly injecting plutonium, feeding radioactive material to children, and even exhuming bodies from graveyards, and all of it caused serious harm or death. Public outcry led to a 1994 investigation by President Clinton's advisory committee, which confirmed ethical violations and led to official apologies and limited reparations.
Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris
Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris, given the moniker the "Tool Box Killers," were American serial killers who abducted, tortured, raped, and murdered five teenage girls in Southern California during 1979. They were given this name because they used everyday tools — like pliers and ice picks — in their brutal crimes. They sometimes made audio recordings or took photos of their crimes, which were so awful that they reportedly brought some jurors, lawyers, and court observers to tears when presented during their trial. Norris eventually turned informant, received life in prison, and died in 2020; Bittaker was sentenced to death and died in prison in 2019. Both died of natural causes.
Peter Kürten
Peter Kürten, known as "The Vampire of Düsseldorf," was a German serial killer active in 1929. He committed at least nine murders and numerous assaults, deriving sexual pleasure from violence and blood, once even drinking his victim's blood. Arrested in 1930, he confessed to dozens of crimes. After a high-profile trial, he was executed by guillotine in 1931.
Fritzl case
In 2008, Austrian police discovered that a man named Josef Fritzl had kept his daughter Elisabeth imprisoned in a secret cellar for 24 years, during which he repeatedly raped her and fathered seven children. Three of the children lived with her in captivity, three were raised upstairs as foster children, and one died shortly after birth. The case was uncovered when one of the children became seriously ill, prompting Josef to seek medical help, and then leading to Elisabeth's rescue and Fritzl's arrest. He was later sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including rape, incest, and murder by negligence.
Carl Tanzler
Carl Tanzler was a German-born radiology technician in Key West, Florida, who became obsessed with his tuberculosis patient, Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos, after her death in 1931. He would visit her mausoleum nightly and claimed he heard her spirit urging him to take her body home. He eventually exhumed her remains and spent seven years living with and preserving the corpse — using piano wire, wax, glass eyes, perfume, and clothing — until her sister discovered what he'd done. Charged only with grave-robbing, Tanzler avoided conviction due to the statute of limitations, later moving to mainland Florida, writing his autobiography, and reportedly keeping a wax effigy until he died in 1952.
Armin Meiwes
Armin Meiwes, known as the 'Rotenburg Cannibal,' was a German man who, in March 2001, killed and cannibalized a consenting victim, Bernd Brandes, whom he found via an online ad seeking someone willing to be eaten. The two even attempted to eat Brandes's severed penis before Meiwes eventually murdered him, dismembered his body, consumed some of his flesh, and stored the remainder in his freezer. Arrested in December 2002, Meiwes was initially convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 8.5 years, but after an appeal and retrial in 2006, he was ultimately convicted of murder with life imprisonment.
Murder of Kelly Anne Bates
Kelly Anne Bates was a 17-year-old from Manchester, England, who, over approximately four weeks in early 1996, was violently tortured by her boyfriend, 48‑year‑old James Patterson Smith. Some of the atrocities he committed included burning Smith all over her body, stabbing her, and even gouging both her eyes out. He ultimately drowned her in a bathtub and reported it falsely as an accidental death. Smith was convicted of her murder in November 1997 and given a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years.
Murder of Skylar Neese
Skylar Neese was a 16-year-old honor student from Star City, West Virginia, who disappeared on July 6, 2012, after sneaking out of her home with two friends, Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf. In January 2013, Shoaf confessed that the pair lured Skylar to a wooded area in Pennsylvania and stabbed her to death, over 50 times, simply because they 'didn't like her' anymore. Her body was found months later, buried under brush. Shoaf pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received 30 years in prison, while Eddy pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, receiving a life sentence.
Finally, Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Waverly Hills Sanatorium, which is located near Louisville, Kentucky, opened in 1910 to treat tuberculosis patients amid a deadly local outbreak. It was expanded in 1926 to accommodate over 400 patients and became infamous for experimental treatments — like rib removal and lung collapse— and for secretly transporting bodies through a hidden 'body chute' to avoid alarming the living. After the discovery of antibiotics, it closed in 1961 and briefly reopened as a geriatric center. It is now a privately owned facility that people frequently say is haunted.
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The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Trump CIA chief: Brennan, Comey and Hillary Clinton could face indictment
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said he made referrals to the Justice Department for former Obama administration officials following the release of intelligence information about the 2016 election. Ratcliffe said that former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper, and former FBI Director James Comey could all face charges relating to what he called a 'hoax' about the election. Tulsi Gabbard, who now leads DNI in the Trump administration, last week released two sets of documents about the 2016 election. The files reveal little new information about Russia's much-studied efforts to influence the 2016 election, but Republicans have nonetheless claimed the intelligence reviews were designed to cast doubt on Trump's victory. The documents do not undercut a central conclusion: that Russia lunched a massive campaign with the hopes of influencing the contest. 'That's why I've made the referrals that I have, DNI Gabbard has made referrals, and why we're gonna continue to share the intelligence that would support the ability of our Department of Justice to make fair and just, bring fair and justice claims against those who have perpetrated this hoax against the American people and this stain on our country,' Ratcliffe said during an appearance on Fox's Sunday Morning Futures. The releases from Gabbard came amid ongoing pressure on the Trump administration to release files related to the controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. They also followed a period in which Gabbard seemed to have lost some clout within the administration. While Gabbard has claimed the documents she has released show a 'treasonous conspiracy,' they largely show intelligence leaders discussing how the Russians were never able to alter vote tabulations — something that was never in dispute and that aligns with what Obama officials said publicly at the time. What intelligence did find, and which several reviews have since backed, was that Russia embarked on a massive social media campaign in the hopes of sowing division in the U.S. Last week, Gabbard released another report, this time a classified review led by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee. That report cast doubt on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed to aid Trump as opposed to sowing discord within the U.S. In the process of releasing that report, Gabbard infuriated Democrats, who argued she exposed sources and methods for gathering intelligence. At the time the classified report was conducted, a bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report, a panel led at the time by now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio, blacked the conclusion Russia favored Trump. Nonetheless, the Justice Department has since established a so-called Strike Force to review the information. Ratcliffe said there would also be additional information released. 'John Brennan testified to John Durham in August of 2020. He also testified to the House Oversight Committee in 2022. Hillary Clinton testified before John Durham under oath in 2022. James Comey testified before the Senate committee in September, 2020. All of that's within the last five years. And much of that testimony is frankly, completely inconsistent with what our underlying intelligence that is about to be declassified in the Durham Annex — what that reflects,' he said. 'And so, you know, [Attorney General] Pam Bondi does have a strike force. It is a different Department of Justice, a different FBI, and an opportunity to look at how these people really did conspire to run a hoax, a fraud on the American people and against Donald Trump's presidency.'


Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Animal escaping heat slips into squad car, assaults NC cop. See the odd ‘selfie'
A police officer was assaulted in his patrol car by an angry bird hiding in the backseat, according to officials in North Carolina. The unlikely encounter happened in Reidsville Friday, July 25, when the heat index was near 105 degrees. It ended with the bird being booted from the car, after the officer took a very strange selfie that is getting laughs on social media. 'One of our officers had an unexpected passenger ... while briefly stepping away from his vehicle. A curious bird took the opportunity to hop inside unnoticed,' the police department wrote in a July 25 Facebook post. 'It wasn't until our officer felt pops to the back of his head while driving that he realized he wasn't alone!' The officer's reaction was not revealed, but their selfie shows the bird wore an unrepentant expression as it stood on the driver's seat headrest. It appeared to be a juvenile American robin, a common species in the state that can reach 11 inches in length, according to All About Birds. The department didn't reveal the officer's name, or say how he evicted the bird. However, it was handled 'safely' for both the cop and the bird, officials said. The selfie has gotten dozens of comments and reactions on social media, including 'jail bird' puns and references to a police 'aviation unit.' 'You know you have been parked too long when the birds start making nests in the car,' Lee Farris wrote on Facebook. 'The bird just wanted some air conditioning' Jackie Lemons posted. Reidsville is about a 95-mile drive northwest from Raleigh.


Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Two Americans Detained in Iran on Suspicion of Spying for Israel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Two American citizens remain detained in Iran on suspicion of spying for Israel following last month's 12-day conflict, according to Israeli state media. One of the men, a Jewish American from Los Angeles with Iranian roots, was recently released on bail. The other, a New York resident, remains in custody. Both were visiting relatives in Iran when they were arrested amid a broader crackdown targeting individuals suspected of collaborating with Israel. Newsweek has reached out the State Department as well as the foreign ministries of Iran and Israel. Why It Matters The detentions reflect Tehran's intensifying efforts to root out alleged espionage, heightening concerns over the safety of dual nationals—especially Americans—and increasing tensions between Iran and the West. These arrests point to heightened risks for those perceived to have ties to Israel and likely will further strain already tense U.S.-Iran relations, with the U.S. State Department repeatedly warning against travel to Iran, citing the real danger of wrongful detention on espionage charges. A member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard stands guard at Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. A member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard stands guard at Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Vahid Salemi/AP Photo What To Know Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that following the conflict with Israel, Iranian authorities arrested at least 35 Jews suspected of spying, including the two Americans. The New York resident, who had left Iran 30 years ago, traveled back to visit family. The other detainee, the Los Angeles resident with Iranian heritage, was arrested alongside him but has since been released on bail. "They came to the wrong place at the wrong time," Israel's Ynet news port quoted an anonymous legal representative involved in the case as saying. Ongoing Negotiations Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, a Jewish member of Iran's parliament, told local media he had secured the release of several detainees and confirmed that espionage charges were dropped against those held in Tehran. Some were released on light bail, he said, expressing hope that the remaining detainees would soon be freed. However, it was not entirely clear which specific detainees Najafabadi was referring to. He said he was also pursuing the release of detainees in Alborz and Shiraz provinces. Spy Arrests Iranian authorities launched a campaign to shore up domestic security after Israel's attack on June 13, and it continued after the ceasefire on June 24. Iran has detained more than 700 individuals accused of collaborating with Israel or other hostile foreign governments. The crackdown has included mass arrests, swift trials and multiple executions involving alleged spies. Homayoun Sameyah NajafAbadi, head of Iran's 8,500-strong Jewish community, poses in front of a new memorial for Iran's Jewish people engraved with 10 names -five died fighting in the 1980-88 war against Iraq, three were... Homayoun Sameyah NajafAbadi, head of Iran's 8,500-strong Jewish community, poses in front of a new memorial for Iran's Jewish people engraved with 10 names -five died fighting in the 1980-88 war against Iraq, three were killed by Saddam Hussein's bombing of Tehran and the other two died in the tumultuous early days of the revolution that ended the shah's rule- at the Beheshtieh Jewish cemetery in southern Tehran, on January 9, 2015. The eight-acre space in south Tehran is a striking reminder of a minority faith whose more than 1,000-year heritage in Iran dwarfs the comparably short 35 years of the Islamic republic. MoreU.S. Government Warnings U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has warned that Americans, including dual nationals, risk wrongful detention in Iran. The department's website states: "Americans, including Iranian-Americans and other dual nationals, have been wrongfully detained, taken hostage by the Iranian government for months, and years." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged judicial and intelligence officials to ease fears among Iranians abroad, despite the recent detentions. "These individuals are also assets of this land," he said. What People Are Saying Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, member of Iranian parliament: "We hope the remaining two individuals in Tehran will also be freed soon." Tammy Bruce, U.S. State Department spokesperson: "Americans, including Iranian-Americans and other dual nationals, have been wrongfully detained, taken hostage by the Iranian government for months, and years. The threat of detention is even greater today. Do not travel to Iran under any circumstances." What Happens Next The spate of arrests in Iran are fueling concerns over politically motivated detentions and fears of a wider conflict. Meanwhile, negotiations between Iranian judicial officials are ongoing to secure the release of those still in custody.