Beneath Still Waters: Bonita Lake And What It Hides

Bonito City, (now sunken beneath Bonita Lake, New Mexico) a rather grand name for the cluster of log buildings that housed a saloon, post office, schoolhouse, church, general store, a hotel called The Mayberry House, and a number of comfortable residences.
Set amid lofty peaks twelve miles northwest of Ruidoso, apple orchards and livestock of the Bonito settlers flourished in the seven-thousand-foot meadows at the edge of the forests. Trout fishing was excellent in the Bonito River.
God was in his heaven and all was right with the world, or so it seemed when two events took place that would cause this serene and pleasant community to literally disappear. The centerpiece of Bonito City was the two-story log hotel called the Mayberry House operated by Mr. and Mrs. John Mayberry. They had three children; John, Eddie, and Nellie. On the night of May 5, 1885, the Mayberry House leaped into the records books with one of New Mexico's most bizarre crimes.
Earlier that evening a number of miners ate supper there and left. Only two guests had rooms, Dr. R. E. Flynn from Ohio and a youth named Martin Nelson seemed to be pleasant and inoffensive roomers. All were in bed by ten o'clock. About one o'clock in the morning, Nelson arose and knocked on the bedroom door of the two Mayberry boys, John awakened and opened the door, at which point Nelson fired two rifle shots, killing him instantly. He then turned on the seven-year-old Eddie who was screaming in bed. Nelson killed him with a single blast.
Dr. Flynn, hearing the shooting, rushed from his room and was shot through the head. John Mayberry, after hearing the screams, was making his way up the dark stairs from the first floor when a shot through the heart dropped him on the landing. Blood was everywhere. Mayberry's daughter, Nellie, appeared and was shot through the side and left for dead. She later recovered.

Serial Killers Used Elephant Butte Lake as Dumping Ground

David Parker RAY and Cindy HENDY have at least six skeletons in the closet that could be dredged from Elephant Butte Lake or dug from shallow graves in the desert. As of March 22, 1999, numerous FBI agents, including psychological "profilers," converged on a trailer home in Elephant Butte, New Mexico, to gather evidence in a case of sexual torture and possible multiple murder. The case began to unfold when a woman escaped from the home of David Ray and Cindy Hendy wearing only a padlocked metal collar attached to a chain. After the news broke another woman from Truth or Consequence came forward and said she, too, had been kidnapped and tortured by the sadist couple. John Branaugh,a friend of the couple, told KOB-TV that after a night of serious drinking, Cindy told him: "Ray has put four to six bodies in this lake (Elephant Butte Lake) and others buried in the desert. When he's done, he gets his surgical tool or whatever, splits them right down the middle and that's why they wouldn't have no buoyancy."

Man found dead at Elephant Butte lake

ELEPHANT BUTTE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico State Parks and state police are investigating the death of a man whose body was spotted floating next to his personal watercraft at Elephant Butte.
Authorities say a park visitor who was boating Thursday evening recovered the body of the 61-year-old man at the southern New Mexico lake. Officers responded but efforts to resuscitate the man were unsuccessful.
The man was wearing a lifejacket. His name hasn't been released, and a cause of death has not been determined.
State Parks director Dave Simon called the incident a tragic loss and extended his sympathy to the man's family and friends.

Bigfoot announces his presence in little-known Illinois Gothic hotspot

There is an isolated, wooded area just outside of the little town of Hartford, Illinois that has long been reputed to be a very spooky spot indeed. This is where the old Lakeview Castle was built in the late 19th Century by an eccentric and wealthy Frenchman as the dream home for his new wife. There is nothing left of this formerly palatial place now but crumbling ruins, most of it destroyed by fire in the early '70's. This mansion with real turrets was built right out in the middle of the woods. The romantic Frenchman even constructed a moat around it [view Google Earth aerial photo at www.untameddimensions.com ]. He had created his own private fantasy world for himself and his new bride. They thoroughly enjoyed their life here for a few years until she died. Then he moved away never to be heard from again [read the colorful, storybook history of this place at : http://www.altonhauntings.com/hartford.html]. One might be reminded of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" that once was a place of bright cheer and happiness until it fell upon evil days and a deadly gloom descended upon it, an ominous zig zag crack running diagnonally down its wall as if symbolizing the curse that had fallen upon the Usher family. This comparison easily comes to mind when one sees the bleak atmosphere this Hartford Castle location now has compared with its glorious heyday. Of course there have been tales told over the years by those bold enough to venture into this forbidding spot after dark, of having seen the sad ghost of the deceased wife roaming the site of her once splendid abode. This is all part of the supernatural lore of "Eerie Illinois" written about in various ghost tour guides.

But what almost nobody knows about is that this place is also heavily haunted by Bigfoot

THE BLOB!
A mysterious black goo described to the Coast Guard as "an oil-like substance, thick and lingering below the surface of the water" that was first spotted by a group of local Wainright, Alaska hunters out in their boat, has now been dubbed "The Blob" and is making its way farther from the coastline, much to everyone's relief.But just what is this oddity?The test results,released on Thursday,conclude that the miles-long stretch of oily goo is non other than a bloom of algae,never before seen in the Chukchi Sea,but not completely unheard of elsewhere.So far,it has been concluded that the blob is NOT toxic, but further testing is required before that is an absolute.

Reviewing: Navajo Skin-Walkers DVD

Just recently, fellow creature-seeker and friend JC Johnson sent me a DVD copy of an excellent new documentary he has directed titled Navajo Skin-Walkers and Legends: Crypto Four Corners.This is definitely one of those "Do Not Miss!" productions - and I urge one and all to click on the link above to learn more about the film, to contact JC, and to get all the information on the film, those who worked hard to bring it to life, and much more.And with that said, let me tell you a bit more about JC's DVD.Basically, it is a personal, on-the-road style study of the whole Skin-Walker phenomenon (and if you're not fully sure what that is, click right here) that dominates the so-called "Four Corners" area: Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico.Filled with fantastic imagery of some truly magical-looking scenery, and suitably atmospheric music to accompany it, Navajo Skin-Walkers is the type of film I enjoy watching a great deal.Made by a dedicated team of investigators who have a deep passion for their subject matter, and who are willing to go the extra mile to find the answers, this is the sort of thing of which we need much, much more.There's no doubt that when it comes to cryptozoology, the most important thing of all is the witness testimony. Without witnesses, we have nothing - absolutely zero. And, firmly recognizing this, JC and his team seek out a good and varied group of people to interview, and who are all willing to talk about their extraordinary experiences with Skin-Walkers.Night-time encounters with paranormal entities prowling around their homes, banging on doors and windows, and generally scaring the you-know-what out of those with whom the Skin-Walkers have crossed paths, dominate the film.And, you also get a very good indication of how the events in question have left a deep impression on those whose lives have been touched by the Skin-Walkers.As JC's DVD makes abundantly clear, the Skin-Walkers are not mere out-of-place, misidentified animals. No.We hear tales of animals walking on two-legs and then four; of bullets having no effect on the beasts; of witness Ivan's weird encounter with a clawed, Kangaroo-like beast; of giant 8-foot-tall entities; of glowing red eyes; and a great deal more, too.For anyone already fascinated by the Skin-Walker phenomenon - and for those new to the subject, but who want to learn more - I strongly urge you to check out Navajo Skin Walkers and Legends: Crypto Four Corners.

-Nick Redfern
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Paranormal Searchers Expedition Continued

Big thing to remember here is, where we are going there is no cell phone capability, no rescue teams covering us. No one to call upon if something goes wrong. We might as well be on the dark side of the moon for all intents and purposes. We also just found out that a nearby canyon, La Brocita, locals talk of devil worshipping going on there, cults dedicated to the Skinwalkers. We had a discussion last night, Chris has decided we will be going armed, just in case. There is always the possible threat of the wildlife, but also we could just have some lunatic "Hills Have Eyes" cult operating out there.

New Mexico in reality is real wilderness. Civilization stops at the town boundaries and the wilds take over. We arent simply investgating a haunted house where help is a phone call away. If preternatural creatures exist, it will be in forgotten wild places like this.

Low Post Day: Preparation for Skinwalker Expedition Continues

Paranormal Searchers is preparing an Expedition to Dog Canyon, New Mexico. We set up a base camp 7 miles from the actual site. Currently putting together all other data and interviewing local eyewitnesses to the skinwalker activity. The expedition will occur Aug 15-16th.