Halloween is fast approaching, bringing with it gruesome and haunting tales that are certain to give you nightmares. Many of the freaky stories are simply folklore which has been manipulated over the years. But, some are frighteningly real.
When Jake Evans, a professional photographer for GoPro, and his friends decided to enter the abandoned Memorial Mound in Bessemer, Alabama, they stumbled upon a scene so shocking that it totally eclipses all horror stories told before. Memorial Mound, which sits southwest of Birmingham, Alabama, was founded in 1992 by Clyde Booth who had great dreams to create a respectful burial place that mimicked ancient burial sites, such as the Catacombs of Paris, and Rome. Booth, who had dug graves as a teenager, opened the luxury and alternative burial place on a 16-acre plot, which extended eight feet below the ground. The burial home offered a different burial method, instead of burying the bodies under the ground in a conventional burial, Memorial Mound ‘stored’ them in one giant chamber. Despite Booth’s plan for the burial site to be inspired by the lavish, intricate designs of ancient catacombs, his project essentially resembled a giant warehouse where caskets were slotted into place on a flimsy metal rack, which leaned up toward the ceiling. Grieving visitors of the deceased were also not permitted to enter the ghostly room, which precariously stacked eight individual caskets high. Instead, visitors were encouraged to lay flowers upon the giant mound, below which lay their loved one in a vast, dark room. They could also honor their loved one by visiting their marble wall plaque, or by pulling up their biography on a computer. The creepy premises were finally referred to the authorities after a stream of thrill seekers entered the disturbing crypt to photograph it for their blog. Word of Memorial Mount had spread like wildfire among the abandoned explorer community. One blogger, who goes by the name Naaman, set out to the ghostly site after hearing other photographers speak of bones inside. Unable to believe that it was true, Naaman decided to take a look for himself. But he, like many others before him, instantly regretted that decision. It is believed that Memorial Mound closed in 2003, leaving the premises to rot in abandonment. It is unclear who owns the site now, after Booth died in 2009 after a heart attack. However, it is evident that whoever owns it now has no interest in maintaining it, or restoring it. This families of the deceased who lay inside were apparently clueless to the true state of the burial place that they had chosen for their loved one. In fact, when authorities tried to trace the family of each body, they were met with a challenge. In total, the bodies of seven adults and one infant were removed from the decaying building after it was flagged to the police. Hauntingly, it would appear that photographers and bloggers were not the first to enter the rotting room, as ransacked caskets lay open and exposed. One of the skeletons was even missing its head. “I thought the picture of the body was a hoax. But there it was, casket wide open on the bottom shelf. I had already seen all I needed to see, so I took the shot and we dipped out. It is unsettling,” said Naaman, whilst talking of his venture into the creepy crypt. Meanwhile, Evans likened his exploration of Memorial Mount to a trip around the set of a horror movie. “It was nuts. We were walking really slow, looking around corners before we went [in the rooms]. It was just unreal,” he said in 2015, before the premises was discovered by authorities.
“Looking up you could see the other caskets and you could see [bodies] rotting through them. You can actually see some liquid or something like coming through it. In a couple of years from now, those bodies are just going to fall out and just hit the ground. It’s like 30 feet up in the air. Something has to be done. I mean, this is just too much.”
Beulah Cole, who has lived opposite Memorial Mount for 17 years, claimed that it was once a beautiful facility but it quickly turned to ruin when the lights went out in the early 2000s. She was shocked to learn that there were even bodies still inside. “Every once in a while when the wind blew a little bit, I could smell a smell. But then, like I say, I thought it was probably from somewhere else. I really didn’t think it was coming from across [the street]. Now I do,” she said. The floor of the morbid room was littered with trash, human remains, body fluid and even a letter to a father from his son. Fliers for the burial ground were also strewn across the place, in which they advertised the facility, priced between $1,500 and $1,800 dependent on the casket and floor level. Tragically, among the eight bodies inside the burial ground, was one infant. Authorities were able to trace the family of the baby girl, who had been interred there in 1993. Kimberly Ziegler explained to WSFA.com, how Jamieral died six months after her birth from a heart condition. “It was real hard. You never get, you know, over your little one passing, but time heals,” she said. However, 23-years later she would receive some shocking news that would open all her wounds again. “When you bury somebody and they’re finally laid to rest; not to have someone vandalize your resting place,” she said. “Having to do this over again, which, you know, if you don’t have a second set of insurance to pay for a burial, you know, once it’s already done. It’s horrific. It’s just crazy for someone to have to go through this again.” Jamieral has since been reburied. The premises have since been cleared by authorities and in October 2016, the site went up for sale. Although, we can’t imagine people were queueing up to buy it! Do you have a taste for abandoned buildings? Then this video will be right up your street. Explaining the story behind 10 of the world’s most famous abandoned places, it is an insightful and educational experience for those that are not easily scared!
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