By Tim Binnall
Haunted locations, the Lizzie Borden case, and forensic handwriting analysis were among the riveting realms explored this past week on Coast to Coast AM. Meanwhile, at the C2C website, we told you about a pair of possible Latin American cryptid sightings, a pill-shaped UFO spotted by the crew of an aircraft flying over Ohio, and an alleged catnapping case in Texas. Check out our round-up of highlights from the past week ... In Coast You Missed It.
With Halloween just around the corner, it should come as no surprise that haunted locations were a hot topic of conversation this past week on Coast to Coast AM. First, on Monday night's program, author Larry Flaxman talked about his work as the resident paranormal investigator for the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He recalled experiencing an unsettling physical manifestation of a seemingly malevolent spirit during one particularly memorable 'ghost hunt' at the site. Then, on Tuesday night's show, paranormal investigator Richard Estep reflected on the nature of haunted locations and what might cause spirits to be 'stuck' at these notoriously spooky spots.
A pair of peculiar UFO sightings caught our attention this past week. First, in Oregon, a spellbound witness captured footage of several inordinately bright orbs that were observed hovering over the city of Portland for around 30 minutes. Shortly after disappearing, another pair of puzzling lights appeared and remained in place for a half-hour before also vanishing. Among the theories put forward for the illuminations were normal air traffic, which seems unlikely given how they remained stationary for so long, drones, and, of course, aliens. Later in the week, it was revealed that the flight crew of a private aircraft cruising over Ohio spotted a silvery pill-shaped object that hovered outside their plane, but did not appear on their radar or that of the nearest air traffic control tower.
The fascinating world of forensic handwriting analysis took center stage on Saturday night's program as seasoned examiner Sheila Lowe detailed the insights that can be gleaned from an individual's penmanship. She indicated that her technique involves assessing handwriting as a whole, making note of how letters are formed, the spaces between them, and the movement used by the person wielding the proverbial pen. Lowe asserted that such analysis can provide a glimpse into someone's mindset, personality, and emotional state at the time of their writing. During her appearance, she also discussed the role of handwriting in high-profile criminal cases, like the JonBenét Ramsey 'ransom note,' and offered thoughts on the signatures of Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
While Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster may garner the lion's share of headlines when it comes to cryptids, there are a vast array of legendary creatures said to exist around the world. This past week saw two such legendary animals pop up in the news. In Chile, a group of astonished fishermen captured footage of an encounter with an unknown aquatic animal with a strange circular shape. The baffling creature immediately drew comparisons to a regional folkloric 'water spirit' known as El Cuero, which is said to boast a flattened body that it uses to envelop its prey. Meanwhile, in Argentina, a group of friends filmed a diminutive, hair-covered figure that some suggested was a similarly apocryphal goblin-like cryptid dubbed the Pombero.
The infamous Lizzie Borden case was revisited on Thursday night's program by former homicide detective Jason White, who discussed the investigative challenges surrounding the grisly double slaying and the public's enduring fascination with the murders that unfolded over a century ago. Despite the forensic limitations of the time, he marveled that authorities were able to make some remarkable deductions, including the timelines of events that fateful day in 1892. Key noted several intriguing details from the case that seem to suggest that Lizzie was the culprit and mused about some of the factors that may have ultimately led to her being acquitted.
By far the weirdest story of the week came from Texas, where a family accused their neighbor of taking their cat and leaving it nearly 100 miles away from where they live. The case began when Alyssa and Patrick Duffy's pet Tabby, Max, went missing last month. During their frantic search for the lost feline, they checked home security footage from the day the cat vanished and saw a neighbor calling the animal over to her. When they followed up on the puzzling scene, they claim that the woman told them she brought Max to her father's farm in a county around 100 miles away and that "he’s having the time of his life." As one might imagine, the revelation prompted a call to the police, who later arrested the neighbor for animal cruelty. However, Max's whereabouts remain sadly unknown.
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