During the Halloween season, spooks and scares hold the spotlight. Many people choose to focus on the joyous and entrancing parts of the night, such as trick-or-treating, attending themed parties, and showing off elaborate costumes. On the flip side, many inconceivable acts of depravity take place in the shadows of this beloved holiday: abduction, murder, and child endangerment. Suitably, one may feel compelled to find some spine-chilling stories to tell around the candy bowl...
Many may know the widespread fear of razor blades being present in one’s candy, a myth that can be traced back for decades. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that, “Joel Best, a University of Delaware sociology and criminal justice professor, has researched reports of Halloween candy tampering in the U.S. dating back to the 1950s.” For the most part, the candy tampering consists of hoaxes and attention grabs, with no harm actually being done. That statement notwithstanding, according to NBC News, police arrested a man in 2019 for allegedly endangering children by putting razor blades in candy bags he handed out on Halloween. As a result of such diabolic behavior, the fear of hidden danger in candy still persists.
On October 31, 1974, Ronald Clark O’Bryan, his wife, two children, and family friends went trick-or-treating in their neighborhood, according to Crimefeed. O’Bryan trailed behind the group, disappearing and coming back a few minutes later, claiming that “some rich neighbors'' had given him the 22-foot Pixy Stix in his hand. He distributed them not only his own children, but their friends’ as well. Little did they know, that the Pixy Stix had been laced with cyanide, a fast-acting poison that often results in death. At first, the police did not suspect O’Bryan, as it would be horrible for a father to have killed his own children. After a little digging, police quickly found out that O’Bryan had been fired from 21 jobs over the last 10 years, and he owed over $100,000. It then became clear that he had planned to pay off his debt by using the life insurance of his deceased son and daughter.
Many kids, teens, and adults see Halloween night as a chance to dress up and go out partying with their friends. Of course, many take precautions when doing so, but no one could have anticipated what happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2002. According to News Media, a group of friends who attended the University of Minnesota decided to go partying. The security guards kicked out one of the boys, Chris Jenkins, out early and he had to walk home, never to be seen again. Although it has never been proven, murder junkies all over the country believe that Jenkins had been a victim of the infamous Smiley Face Killer, who had been known for putting a plastic bag with a smiley face on it over the head of his victims. The killer targeted men in college, with most of their bodies found in water, leading people to connect the dots between other victims of the Smiley Face Killer and the homicide of Chris Jenkins.
To reduce the chance of being a victim of crimes like abduction and poisoning, make sure to always have at least one other person around, never take unwrapped candy from strangers, and have a light source such as a flashlight or glow stick to improve visibility. Despite the many horrendous atrocities that have occurred on this particular holiday, remember to take precautions in order to celebrate safely.
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