Jenny Ashford is a horror, true crime, and paranormal writer, graphic designer, and podcaster. Her most recent books are a three-volume true crime compilation collectively known as The Faceless Villain: A Collection of the Eeriest Unsolved Murders of the Twentieth Century. Volume One was published in 2017, Volume Two in 2018, and Volume Three in 2019. Her other books include four paranormal nonfiction books: The Unseen Hand: A New Exploration of Poltergeist Phenomena, The Mammoth Mountain Poltergeist (with Tom Ross), House of Fire and Whispers: Investigating the Seattle Demon House, and The Rochdale Poltergeist (both with Steve Mera); as well as three horror novels, Red Menace, Bellwether, and The Five Poisons; two short story collections, Hopeful Monsters and The Associated Villainies; and a graphic novel, The Tenebrist. A second edition of The Associated Villainies was published in 2019, featuring four new stories, an enhanced print layout, and an audio book version. A second edition of The Five Poisons was published in 2020. Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies, including The Nightmare Collective, History Is Dead, 2012AD, ChimeraWorld #3, and ChimeraWorld #4. Her horror blog, Goddess of Hellfire, contains writing news, short stories and articles, and her reviews and opinions on horror films and books. She also co-hosts a podcast with Tom Ross called 13 O'Clock, on which they discuss true crime, unexplained mysteries, paranormal weirdness, horror movies and books, food, and other fun, creepy topics. They recently collaborated on a 13 O'Clock cookbook. Jenny's graphic design work can be seen on everything from books and business cards to posters and packaging. She runs an online store called Gravecake selling products with her designs, and also has a board-and-card game concern called Giallo Games, which produces games based around the beloved Italian horror/crime genre, among many other themes.
In the spring of 1991, a chilling abduction in Australia would lead to a renewed push to locate the as-yet-unidentified serial rapist and possible murderer known only as Mr. Cruel. It was the evening of April 13th, and thirteen-year-old Karmein Chan was at her home in the affluent Victorian suburb of Templestowe, babysitting her two … More Karmein Chan
Thirty-year-old Joe Cole was the son of well-known actor Dennis Cole, and was making quite a name for himself in his own right. An actor and writer, Joe also worked as a roadie for Black Flag, the Rollins Band, and Hole, and shared a house in Venice Beach with Black Flag and Rollins Band frontman … More Joe Cole
Keith and Elaine Dardeen had bought a mobile home in Ina in 1986, so Keith could be closer to his job as treatment plant operator at the Rend Lake Water Conservancy District facility there. Elaine worked at an office supply store in town. The couple had a two-year-old son named Peter, and in November of … More The Dardeen Family Murders
In the summer of 1986, a remarkable Dutch man would mysteriously turn up murdered in his own apartment, in a crime that has sadly been all but forgotten. Willem “Wim” Klein was born in Amsterdam in 1912, and his physician father initially attempted to push him into the same line of work. Willem did obtain … More Willem Klein
In spring of 1986, the ghastly murder of an elderly widow would lead to the shocking conviction of an innocent man, a breakdown of the justice system that would take nearly a decade to be corrected. Seventy-nine-year-old Pauline Martz lived alone in the small town of Aurora, Missouri. On April 13th, firefighters were called to … More Pauline Martz
It was the evening of Sunday, January 21st, 1962. The Maps family—thirty-nine-year-old artist Edward, his twenty-two-year-old wife Christine, and the couple’s four-month-old daughter Julie Louise—had been visiting with their neighbors since about eight-thirty p.m., eating an apple pie they had brought and having a pleasant chat. They left at a little past nine p.m. so … More The Maps Family Murder
The day before Valentine’s Day of 1965 was a Saturday, and eleven-year-old Mae Rubenstein was alone in her home on South Third Avenue in Highland Park, New Jersey. Her father and brother were both at work, and her mother Anne had gone to the grocery store to pick up a few things. At some point … More Anne & Mae Rubenstein
Fifty-six-year-old van driver Arthur Cope was last seen by coworkers on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 7th, 1964. Presumably, after leaving work that day, he returned to his home, which was in a trailer at the Radcliffe-on-Trent Caravan Park on Wharf Lane in Nottingham, England. Two days later, police discovered Arthur’s body in his residence. … More Arthur Cope
Thirty-seven-year-old Clifton Walker, affectionately nicknamed “Man” by his family, was a veteran of the Korean War, though he had been honorably discharged from the Army after a leg injury. He and his wife Ruby had five children, and lived on their own land in Woodville, Mississippi. In 1964, Clifton was working as a laborer at … More Clifton Walker
Only a few days before 1963 came to a close, a pregnant woman in Canada would apparently wander out into the snow and meet her doom shortly thereafter, at the hands of an unknown assailant. Twenty-year-old Margaret Sheeler lived with her husband Philip in a townhouse in London, Ontario. She had gotten pregnant the previous … More Margaret Sheeler
