Make no mistake: 2016 was one of the strangest years in recent memory. Here at The Lineup, we had our share of bizarre tales, from unsolved disappearances to ruthless killers, haunted locales and everything in between. So we rounded up our weirdest and best stories of 2016 and complied them into one handy list, for your reading pleasure.
Take a look back at our creepiest stories of 2016, and get ready for a new year full of all things mysterious and bizarre.
Cabin 28: The Unsolved Keddie Murders of California
In 1981, a cabin in the woods of California played host to a brutal family murder. The quadruple slaying is made all the more unsettling by the fact that it remains unsolved decades later. READ MORE
The Bizarre Death of Elisa Lam
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
On February 1, 2013, Elisa Lam vanished while staying at the Cecil Hotel. Soon thereafter, her body was found face-up in the hotel’s rooftop water tank. Three years later, Lam’s death continues to mystify … as does the chilling security footage of her final moments. READ MORE
The Disturbing Origins of 7 Beloved Fairy Tales
Photo: Chris Heller / Getty Images
Forget prince charming … how about a little murder and mutilation with your bedtime story? From the Little Mermaid to Little Red Riding Hood, the sugarcoated renditions of your favorite fairy tales are based on much darker versions. READ MORE
Silent Twins: The Haunting Case of the Gibbons Siblings
Cover of “The Silent Twins” by Marjorie Wallace via Vintage Publishing
One of them had to die, so the other could live a normal life. This is the haunting case of June and Jennifer Gibbons, twin siblings who were bound in life as well as death. READ MORE
A Child Without a Soul
So·path: noun, a child born without a soul; sopaths will lie, cheat, rape, and murder to get what they want. Inspired by real-life news events, Piers Anthony’s The Sopaths addresses every parent’s worst nightmare: What do you do with a child without a conscience? READ MORE
5 Haunted Paintings You Should Never Hang in Your Home
Photo: MrModnation / Youtube
Bare walls never looked so good. From cursed prints to possessed portraits, gaze upon five allegedly haunted paintings that ensure you’ll buy all your future artwork from Ikea. READ MORE
Blanche Monnier: the Woman Who Was Locked Away for 25 Years
Photo: Apic / Getty Images
When daylight finally spilled into the musty chamber, a shocking sight came into focus… READ MORE
40 Scariest Books of the Last 200 Years
We’re looking back through the scariest books of the past two centuries – from chilling gothic classics to post-apocalyptic tales of caution. These terrifying tales leave readers restless, never quite sure where fiction ends and reality begins. READ MORE
A Body in Kentucky: the 30-year-long Mystery of “Tent Girl”
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
In 1968, the body of a young woman was discovered wrapped in a tarp in the Kentucky backwoods. Her identity remained a mystery for decades. Then, in 1998, thanks to one man, that all changed. READ MORE
11 Really Scary Movies That You Shouldn’t Watch Alone
Still from The Devil’s Backbone via Canal+ España
Make no mistake: These freaky flicks of demonic possession, bloodthirsty cannibals, and terrifying phantoms will leave you sleeping with one eye open. READ MORE
8 People Who Allegedly Sold Their Souls to the Devil
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
What would you sell to get what you want? These men and women allegedly signed contracts with Satan for earthly pleasure and success. The deals may have paid off in the short-term, but the eternal return was far from positive. READ MORE
9 Real-Life Cases of Exorcisms and Demonic Possession
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
From levitating beds to diabolical murder, count your blessings before reading about these real-life cases of demonic possession. READ MORE
She Fell in Love with Her Fiance’s Killer
Photo courtesy of Open Road Media
Hope Masters’ fiance was brutally murdered. Then, after a weekend of being tortured herself, the unthinkable happened: She started to fall in love. READ MORE
6 Haunted Asylums You Can Actually Visit
Those who visit these haunted asylums report disembodied voices, meandering apparitions, and eerie noises echoing through the crumbling corridors. Care to step inside? READ MORE
Michigan Murders: The Heinous Crimes of the “Ypsilanti Ripper”
Photo: Murderpedia
Over the course of three years, a serial killer referred to as the “Ypsilanti Ripper” tortured, killed, and mutilated half a dozen victims in Michigan. But what was most terrifying was the discovery of the killer’s identity. READ MORE
Up in Smoke: The Sodder Children Disappearance of 1945
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
In 1945, a mysterious fire on Christmas morning gutted the Sodder family house with five children still inside. Authorities believed the youngsters died in the blaze, but surviving family members thought otherwise. What was the fate of the five Sodder children? READ MORE
