In the English Midlands in the 1940s, there were two very creepy unsolved murders: in one, a woman’s skeleton was found stuffed inside a wych-elm tree, and in the other, an old farmer was murdered in broad daylight by having his throat slashed and his body pinned to the ground by a pitchfork. Neither of the killers was ever caught, and in fact, the identity of the woman found in the wych-elm is still unknown. Eerily, both cases had details that suggested that they could possibly have been occult related. Were these killings part of some weird black magic rite? On this episode, Tom and Jenny discuss two infamous unsolved murders: the case known as Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm, and the Charles Walton Pitchfork Murder. Along the way, we also discuss legends about witchcraft in rural England, as well as the possible Nazi spy connection of the mysterious Bella skeleton. Put on your goat’s head and light a few black candles, because episode 49 of the 13 O’Clock Podcast has just been summoned from the underworld.
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Song at the end: “Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?” by Gravenhurst.
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Published by jennyashford
Jenny Ashford is a horror and paranormal writer, graphic designer, and podcaster. Her books include three novels, Bellwether, The Five Poisons, and Red Menace; two short story collections, Hopeful Monsters and The Associated Villainies; a graphic novel, The Tenebrist; and four paranormal nonfiction works: The Unseen Hand: A New Exploration of Poltergeist Phenomena; The Mammoth Mountain Poltergeist, co-authored with Tom Ross; House of Fire and Whispers: Investigating the Seattle Demon House, and The Rochdale Poltergeist, both co-authored with parapsychologist Steve Mera. Her short stories have also appeared in several anthologies, including The Nightmare Collective, History Is Dead, 2012AD, ChimeraWorld #3, and ChimeraWorld #4.
Along with Tom Ross, she co-hosts a podcast called 13 O'Clock on the Project Entertainment Network, on which the duo discuss all measure of strange and creepy topics, ranging from the paranormal to true crime to historical mysteries to horror movies. She also makes videos for a sister list channel called 13 O'Clock In Minutes.
Jenny's graphic design work can be seen in marketing materials for Van Gogh Vodka, promo materials for bands including Astari Nite, Ending the Vicious Cycle, Withering Earth, Kids Without Heroes, and Sons of Ragnar, poster designs for Memento Mori at Independent Bar, Thee Grotto and Vengeance at the Haven in Orlando, and on the cover of The Young Atheist's Survival Guide by Hemant Mehta (aka The Friendly Atheist), among many other places. She also runs an online store called GraveCake selling products with her gothic and horror-themed designs.
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