The Murder Of Junko Furuta, A Man "Eaten Alive" By A Sinkhole, And A Bunch Of Other Terrifying Things You Should Know About
Now, fair warning, because this is a weekly newsletter, just know this article won't be formatted like your typical ~BuzzFeed style~ list.
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Each week, we'll be highlighting these topics:
💀Terrible, Dark, and Shocking Things I Learned This Week
👀Creepiest Towns Across America
👽Weird Wiki of the Week
🪦Famous Death Anniversary
🔪Your Weekly Horror Movie Recommendation
🍕An Original Illustration of Serial Killers' Last Meals, by Yours Truly
So, lock the doors and turn on a flashlight, it's time to dive into some dark stuff...
If you need to add a new fear in your life, I have the perfect one for you: being eaten alive by a sinkhole. In 2013, a man in Florida named Jeffrey Bush was 'swallowed alive' by a 17-foot-wide SINKHOLE that had formed under his bedroom in the middle of the night, while he was sleeping. And, yes, you read that right…UNDER. HIS. BEDROOM.
Apparently, the floor collapsed beneath Jeffrey, and he fell down into the void along with a dresser, TV, and most of his bed set. His brother, Jeremy, tried to save him, but said it was too late by the time he rushed in to help. Jeremy told reporters that all he could see was cable wire running from the TV down into the sinkhole, and a corner of Jeffrey's Bed. Jeffrey's body was NEVER recovered.
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Occasionally, I like to ask the BuzzFeed Community to tell me about the most mysterious, cult-like, bad-vibes towns in the United States they've ever been to. And you'd be shocked at how many responses I get each time (or maybe not). This week's spotlight: Mack, Colorado
'Once we had to stop here for gas...never do this! Real The Hills Have Eyes vibes. We immediately turned around because of the bad vibes, but got stuck by a passing train. When we returned, a woman, rail-thin with missing teeth, yelled, 'Fill up, I'll open up!' So I started getting gas and noticed the 1980s-style pump had a piece of tape tripping the price. I go past the foul garbage can with flies everywhere and open the door to a horror movie. To my right, a boy eating cereal at a table stops and stares desperately at me. All the store racks were covered with plastic, and dolls were hanging from the rafters. As the woman started yelling, 'You didn't fill up!' I noticed a paper saying, 'Where are you from?' I dropped a 20 to cover my gas. We drove off only to be stopped by the train again. Just as it cleared the road, I saw the woman with other devil's reject types running after the car. Luckily, we got out of there, so I can warn you all!"
—Anonymous
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Wikipedia is like the Wild West. It's vast, lawless, and sometimes you can find some extremely weird (and horrifying) things out there. This week's spotlight: The murder of Junko Furuta.
Warning: This is an extremely graphic story. Junko Furuta 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 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.
Bruce Lee — Died: July 20, 1973. Cause of Death: Cerebral edema (swelling of the brain).
How he died: Lee died on July 20, 1973, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong after being found unconscious on the floor of his apartment. He was 32 years old. Interestingly, at the time of his death, Lee had been in the process of working on a film called Game of Death. Because Lee had only shot roughly 40 minutes of footage before he died, the filmmakers opted to finish the film by using stand-ins, recycled scenes from some of his previous works, and even used real-life footage of Lee in his casket (as seen above) for a scene where the character in the film fakes his own death.
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Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (2021)
What it's about: A four-part true‑crime documentary miniseries covering the terrifying 1984–85 murder spree of Richard Ramirez, infamously known as the 'Night Stalker.'
Why you should watch it: This is from a few years ago, but if you missed it, I HIGHLY recommend you get on that. It's a deeply fascinating story told through the eyes of the detectives who actually chased Ramirez.
Where you can watch it: Streaming for free on Netflix.
David Alan Gore
Gore was a serial killer who committed six brutal murders in Florida between 1981 and 1983. He was often accompanied by his cousin, Fred Waterfield, and together they were given the moniker the "Killing Cousins." They would abduct, rape, and murder women and teenage girls, often using Gore's position as an auxiliary sheriff's deputy to lure victims. Gore was arrested after a failed escape attempt by 17-year-old Lynn Elliott, whose murder led to his capture. He was executed by lethal injection in 2012 after spending 28 years on death row.
His last meal: Fried chicken, French fries, and butter pecan ice cream.
Well, I think it's time we shut it down for the week. In the next issue, I'll talk about a sleepwalking killer and the tragic story of a feral child that will scar you for life (so be sure to subscribe below)! Until then, stay safe, keep the lights on, and I'll see you for another horrifying trip down the rabbit hole…
Do you have a weird, creepy, or shocking story you want to share? Perhaps there's a strange Wikipedia page you want to talk about? Tell me all about it at thatgotdark@buzzfeed.com, and who knows, maybe it'll be featured in a future edition of That Got Dark!
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This will be disappointing for international users, who may have to wait a considerable amount of time to access the new features. Remember, Google Photos users outside the US are still waiting for access to the AI-powered 'Ask Photos' feature nine months after launch. Google Photos has a massive worldwide user base, with billions of photos and videos uploaded each week, and runs the risk of frustrating a colossal number of customers if non-US customers remain excluded from its best features. Follow @paul_monckton on Instagram.
