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.
On March 26th, 1988, thirteen-year-old Carol Baldwin was walking to a friend’s house across a park near her home in Northampton, England. At some point on her journey, she was stabbed in the back and left for dead. Later that year, a twelve-year-old girl was arrested for the murder and placed on trial. The prosecution … More Carol Baldwin
Seventeen-year-old Donna Healey made her living as a sex worker in Harehills, Leeds, England. Though she was quite close with her family, she had evidently fallen in with the wrong crowd. The day before her eighteenth birthday in March of 1988, Donna spent some time with her mother and stepfather, but after she left them … More Donna Healey
Forty-one-year-old John Lennon, who obviously shared his name with the famous Beatle, worked as a paint sprayer and was originally from Ireland. In the late 1980s, he seemed somewhat adrift in life, not really having a permanent address and usually seen wandering around Forest Gate in East London, England. He was also known to be … More John Lennon
Twenty-three-year-old Rachel Applethwaite made her living as a sex worker, and lived with her boyfriend at a hotel on Earls Court, London. She was known to be somewhat aggressive and argumentative, and she and her partner were often witnessed fighting, usually about money. She was also a suspected alcoholic. On Saturday, January 24th, 1987, Rachel … More Rachel Applethwaite
Fifty-one-year-old mother of two Julie Perigo lived in a one-bedroom council flat in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. She had formerly been a stripper, but by 1986, was making her living as a sex worker. On May 16th, 1986, she told a friend that she was scheduled to meet a client at lunchtime. This was … More Julie Perigo
Edna and Alice Rowley were stepsisters, aged seventy-seven and eighty-seven respectively, and had spent more than fifty years running a corner shop on Greswolde Road in Sparkhill, Birmingham, England. They lived in a flat adjoining the shop and were a beloved fixture in the neighborhood. Two days before Christmas of 1987, a neighbor became concerned … More Alice and Edna Rowley
Thirty-six-year-old Helen Gormley was a teacher who lived in Towcester, Northamptonshire, England with her husband and their six-year-old daughter. On October 30th, 1986, Helen’s husband left the family home at twelve-thirty p.m. to take their daughter to the movies in Milton Keynes. Helen stayed behind at their residence, but when he brought the child home … More Helen Gormley
Twenty-six-year-old Sandra Court was a popular, friendly young woman who had been working as an insurance clerk at Ambassador Life in Bournemouth, England. She had just announced that she would be leaving that job, however, and taking a position as a nanny in Mallorca, Spain, a life change she was tremendously excited about. On May … More Sandra Court
Fifty-eight-year-old widow Margaret Greenwood suffered from polio, and lived alone in a house in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, England. On Bonfire Night—November 5th, 1985—it’s believed that two young men came to her door pretending to be collecting money for the celebration, a tradition known as “a penny for the Guy.” However, these individuals then proceeded … More Margaret Greenwood
Thirty-two-year-old Josephine Mary Budworth, who usually went by her middle name, lived with her husband Terry and their six children in a house on Hindley Walk in Speke, Liverpool, England. She was also twenty weeks pregnant with another child. In the early morning hours of April 22nd, 1985, Terry was out, and the rest of … More Mary, Mark, and Leslie Budworth
