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 quiet town of Dawley, a suburb of Telford in Shropshire, England, a horrific tragedy unfolded on March 16th, 1990. Six-week-old Jason Ravenscroft, a defenseless infant, suffered a fatal fractured skull at his family home. Jason and his twin brother were born into a modest household on King Street (also referred to in some … More Jason Ravenscroft
Esme Anne Hoad was born in July 1897 in Maidstone, Kent, England, a short distance from the bustling port of Dover. She lived as a spinster, residing alone at 2a Havelock Road in Tonbridge—a modest semi-detached house in a residential neighborhood lined with similar Edwardian properties. By 1982, at the age of eighty-five, Esme was … More Esme Hoad
Seventy-seven-year-old widow Lena Farr lived a modest life in her home on Brook Street, a typical residential street in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England, a small village located just a few miles from the market town of Biggleswade. On April 12th, 1971, concern grew among neighbors when Lena failed to appear for her routine activities. It was … More Lena Farr
Shizuo and Tokuyo Kado had lived a long and presumably peaceful life together in their modest home at 8613 10th Avenue in Burnaby, a suburb just east of Vancouver, British Columbia, known for its family-friendly streets and proximity to the city’s bustling core. The couple, both of Japanese descent, represented a generation that had weathered … More Shizuo Kado
Marie Lynn Lasas was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, but her roots ran deep in the Cowessess First Nation. Raised primarily in urban settings, she spent parts of her childhood in foster care before settling with her grandfather in Saskatoon. Despite a turbulent youth, Marie was remembered by those who knew her as a pillar of … More Marie Lynn Lasas
Forty-one-year-old Lisa Ann Zielke, sometimes referred to in records as Lisa Ann Zielke Elick, lived in Surrey, British Columbia, and was a fixture in the city’s sex trade, working primarily in the streets and known to local police through her criminal history. Though details of her past convictions are sparse, investigators noted she was scheduled … More Lisa Ann Zielke
Thirty-two-year-old Leon Adams was a laid-back father with a passion for music and community, described by those who knew him as affable and family-oriented. He lived in a house at 6025 Lady Hammond Road in Halifax, Nova Scotia. On the evening of May 21st, 2005, Leon was at home, winding down what appeared to be … More Leon Anthony Adams
In the heart of Toronto, the Hospital for Sick Children—affectionately known as SickKids—has long been a beacon of hope for families facing pediatric crises. But between June 1980 and March 1981, its cardiac ward became the stage for a chilling enigma: the sudden, suspicious deaths of at least twenty-one infants, with autopsies revealing lethal doses … More Toronto Hospital Baby Deaths
In the early 1990s, the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada was gripped by fear as a series of brutal murders targeted vulnerable women working in the sex trade. Between January 1990 and February 1993, at least seven—and possibly eight—women were killed under eerily similar circumstances, leading police and the public to suspect a single serial … More The Calgary Prostitute Murders
Thirty-one-year-old Shana Lee Labatte was born and raised in the tight-knit community of Kamloops, British Columbia, and was a devoted single mother to two young children. For much of her life, Labatte led what those close to her described as a “normal” existence, working part-time as a cleaner at a local hotel and nurturing her … More Shana Lee Labatte
