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.
Seventy-five-year-old Sidney Leeson was a reserved, unassuming sort of man, well-liked in his neighborhood, and generous to a fault. He lived alone in a terraced house on Sweetbriar Road in Leicester, England, which he’d previously shared with his wife. After his wife died, Sidney was known to take in couples who were down on their … More Sidney Leeson
Forty-three-year-old Mary Judge was a well-known sex worker in the area around Kirkgate, near Leeds, England, recognized for her cheerful demeanor and love of drink. At ten-eighteen p.m. on Thursday, February 22nd, 1968, passengers on the eight-thirty-seven p.m. train from Hull witnessed a dreadful sight as they peered out the windows: Mary Judge being murdered … More Mary Judge
Fifty-three-year-old Dr. Danuta Kaczmarska was originally from Poland but had been a general practitioner in the UK for many years, with a successful practice in Kings Heath, Birmingham. Her patients affectionately referred to her as Dr. K. She lived alone in a comfortable, three-story house in Hall Green. On January 22nd, 1986, firefighters were summoned … More Dr. Danuta Kaczmarska
Twenty-five-year-old Joseph Cummins lived with his grandmother in a house in Fazakerley, a suburb of north Liverpool, Merseyside, England. At around nine p.m. on the night of January 20th, 2011, Joseph was getting into a car driven by his friend. Suddenly, an unknown person crept up from behind, using the unusually thick fog as a … More Joseph Cummins
Forty-six-year-old widow Linda Chandler lived with her two children, Lisa and Lynette, in a house on a cul-de-sac called Fairbourne Avenue in Kingstanding, Birmingham, England. Her husband had died eight years before, and she supported her family by working as a secretary at Birmingham City University. Neighbors later described her as a “popular” woman, friendly … More Linda Chandler
Twenty-nine-year-old Russell Marsom was a hairdresser who lived in Hunstanton, West Norfolk, England. On the evening of Saturday, March 30th, 1996, he traveled to Cambridge to go clubbing with a friend. This was a journey of about sixty miles. It’s not clear which establishment or establishments he went to that night, though one club called … More Russell Marsom
Sixty-three-year-old Frederick Dunkley was a maintenance engineer, and his fifty-nine-year-old wife Miriam was a receptionist at a doctor’s office. The couple lived a comfortable life in their house on Clifford Road in Wembley, Middlesex, England. At around twenty minutes past five on the evening of January 23rd, 1989, the pair arrived home and began to … More Frederick & Miriam Dunkley
Fifty-one-year-old Annie Walsh worked in a factory and lived in a flat on Charles Berry Crescent in Hulme, Greater Manchester, England. By all accounts, she lived a normal and unremarkable life. But on January 31st, 1977, Annie was found beaten to death in her home. Whoever had killed her had perpetrated an attack so savage … More Annie Walsh
Forty-one-year-old Lily Volpert owned a clothing store on Bute Street in the docklands area of Cardiff, Wales. According to the media, she was also an “unofficial moneylender.” On the evening of March 6th, 1952, Lily had just closed the shop and was preparing to have dinner in the back of the store with her mother … More Lily Volpert
Eighty-year-old Mary Lazenby was a small but formidable woman; standing only four-foot-eight and having lost one foot in an accident when she was a child, she had moved to Bethnal Green, East London, England back in 1941 with her husband, a merchant seaman, and the couple’s one-year-old son Larry. Mary’s husband was killed in World … More Mary Lazenby
Crime Immemorial 