Friday, May 27, 2022

Grave Tales #27: Benjamin Kulpe


I am an avid genealogist. The past is very important to me. I spend a lot of time in cemeteries photographing tombstones to upload on website the FindAGrave.

I enjoy recognizing long dead people by putting memorials to them online. However, every once and a while something grabs me about a specific grave. It could be the name, or the dates or a ceramic photo. In those cases, I feel compelled to dig a little deeper. That's what this series of blogs is about: The tales behind those graves. Some of my subjects will be heroes. Some will be villains. Some will be victims. And some will linger in between, like most of us. However, don't be surprised if the tales are inherently tragic. These are grave tales. They all end in death.

Having finished my work at Ohr Knesseth Israel Anshe Sfard and Knesseth Israel Anshe Kolk Wolyn cemeteries on German Hill Road, I was invited by fellow Findagrave volunteer Dianne Feldman to help her document some graves across the street at the Hebrew Orthodox Memorial Cemetery. How could I say no? I found so many interesting folks across the street that I was hopeful I would find more grave tales there. And I was right.

For the most part, the monuments in Hebrew Orthodox Memorial Cemetery are modest and unobtrusive. It would have been easy to walk past the grave of Benny Kulpe without giving it a second thought. In fact, I am hard pressed to remember what inspired me to research him, but I'm glad I did. I found it to be a fascinating case. Here's the story:

The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 17 November 1938, Thu:


GROCER SHOT DEAD BEHIND HIS COUNTER
-----
Benjamin Kulpe Apparently Slain While Resisting Bandits
-----
Two Other Places Held Up --
Family Locked In Cellar By Robbers
-----

     A 51-year-old grocer, Benjamin Kulpe, was shot and killed last night as he stood behind the counter of his store in the 900 block North Eden street.
     Members of his family who live in quarters above the store heard the shot, but found no one else in the store when they ran to the first floor.
     Although the cash drawer was untouched, police believe the shooting occurred when the grocer resisted a holdup man.

Shot In Right Side
     
     A package of cigarettes was found on the counter, indicating the assailant or assailants asked for them before drawing a gun.
     The grocer's wife, Mrs. Sarah Kulpe, was the first to reach the store. Kulpe was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where physicians pronounced him dead. He had been shot in the right side, and it was believed the bullet penetrated the heart.

I'm stopping the news story there. After that point, the reporter discusses two other armed robberies that happened the same night. I don't mean to diminish the tragedy of any death, but the murder of a store owner during a robbery was not uncommon in Baltimore. Look at the way the newspaper treated the story: They just lumped it in with two other robberies. However, I decided to keep looking. I wanted to see if the killer was brought to justice.

Here's a story from the morning paper the next day:

The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 18 November 1938, Fri:


Police Without Clues In Holdup Murder
-----

     Police last night were without clues in the holdup murder Thursday of Benjamin Kulpe, 51-year-old proprietor of a grocery store in the 900 block of North Eden street. He was found shot to death behind the counter.
     Capt. John A Cooney, head of the Detective Bureau, assigned four members of the homicide squad to the case, but said they were unable to locate any finger prints or other clues which might lead to the identity of the slayer.
     Dr. Howard J. Maldeis, city post-mortem physician, conducted an autopsy yesterday and recovered the slug, which had been fired from a .32-caliber pistol. It penetrated Mr. Kulpe's left side, puncturing a lung and severing an artery.

That morning the prospects were not good for finding Mr. Kulpe's killer, but prospects improved a few hours later with the release of the evening paper:

The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 18 November 1938, Fri:



MAN HELD IN MURDER OF BENJAMIN KULPE
-----
Police Say Suspect Bought Gun Night Grocer Was Shot.
Comparing Bullets
-----

     After five days of investigation, Sergt. Thomas McHale and Patrolman Arthur Smallwood today arrested a suspect in the murder Monday night of Benjamin Kulpe, who was shot as he stood behind a counter in his grocery at 912 North Eden street.
     Sergeant McHale and Patrolman Smallwood canvassed all hardware stores and pawn shops in the eastern section of the city for trace of a recent purchase of a .38-caliber revolver.

Report Suspect Bought Gun

     The man they arrested, they found, bought a gun on Monday. The officers also have established that he is in the habit of visiting a young woman in the neighborhood of Kulpe's grocery and was in the neighborhood the night of the murder.
     The officers found their suspect about 2.30 o'clock this morning in the 1500 block McElderry street with a young woman -- not the one he has been visiting in the Eden street area.
     He was taken to his home where, the officers said, they found the newly bought gun, fully loaded.
     The weapon was turned over to Capt. James Downs, department ballistics expert, for tests and comparison of its bullets with the one which proved fatal to Kulpe.

Okay, okay. First off, Kulpe was not killed five days earlier. He was killed the previous evening. That was a reporting error. Secondly, it appears that the police were acting on some mighty thin evidence -- particularly if what the previous story reported was true: That Kulpe was killed with a .32-caliber pistol, not a .38-caliber one. That said, I think the evidence was strong that the suspect was cheating on his girlfriend. I doubt a lawyer could clear him of that!

I assume that the suspect was cleared and released. A few days later another suspect emerged:

The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 21 November 1938, Mon:


HEAVILY ARMED MAN SEIZED IN HOLDUP MURDER
-----
Arrested As He Reaches For Four Guns Under Seat Of Auto
-----
Faces Questioning In Grocer's Killing And Other Crimes

     Arrested by three police as he was trying to reach an arsenal of four loaded guns under the front seat of his automobile, a 29-year-old man was held at the Northwestern Police Station today as a suspect in the murder last week of Benjamin Kulpe, North Eden street grocer.
     Victims of recent holdups in all parts of the city were requested to visit the police station on Wednesday to try to identify the man, whom the police believe to have been involved in a long series of holdups and robberies.
     The suspect was arrested about 1.30 o'clock yesterday morning as he sat in his automobile at Marlen and Calhoon streets.

Police Draw Guns

     Sergt. Joseph E. Wagner, with Patrolmen Edward Burns and Roger Stocksdale, approached the machine. The suspect, they reported, jumped out and began digging under the front seat.
     Drawing their guns the police ordered him to move away from the car. He obeyed and the officers found three revolvers and an automatic, all loaded, under the front seat.
     At the station house they searched him again and found a blackjack in an inner pocket.

Booked On Weapons Charge

     He was booked on a charge of possessing deadly weapons, and at a hearing yesterday before Magistrate Harry Fine the police asked a postponement of the case so that the man might be held pending investigation.
     Bail was set at $5,000 and the further hearing was set for next Wednesday.
     Police in all city districts were requested to notify victims of recent holdups to go to the Northwestern Police Station today to try to pick their assailant out of a lineup.

Guns To Be Checked

     The four guns, a .32-caliber revolver, a .22-caliber revolver, a .38-caliber revolver and a German automatic, were turned over to the police ballistics experts to determine whether any one of them could have been used in the murder of Mr. Kulpe last week.
     The German automatic was identified by William Dude as a weapon stolen from the tavern he operates at 1233 North Gilmor street last Wednesday by a burglar who scaled an eight-foot wall in the rear of the place and forced a window. The burglar also took a money bag containing $30, ten cartons of cigarettes and four cases of whisky.
     One of the holdups police believe the man implicated in was the robbery of Joseph T. Turner, attendant in a filling station at Myrtle and George streets. Two holdup men took $54 from Turner, after forcing him to open the station's safe, and then demanded his car keys, driving away in Turner's own machine.

Well, at least this suspect had a .32-caliber pistol. Aside from that, the evidence against him in the Kulpe murder was slim to non-existent. Not surprisingly, this unnamed suspect disappears from the story. I couldn't even find any reference to him in the court proceedings on the following Wednesday.

I found no further reference to an active investigation into the Kulpe case after this story. However, I found some interesting stories prior the shooting. Benjamin Kulpe and his daughter Katie were facing charges regarding an illegal lottery. Take a look at this court schedule printed on 28 October 1938:

Here are the results of Benjamin and Katie's trial:

The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 29 October 1938, Sat:


State's Witness Held On Charge of Perjury
-----
Negro Jailed In Default of Bail After Testifying
In Lottery Case in Criminal Court

     A State's witness in in a lottery case was held on a perjury charge yesterday by Judge George A. Solter, in Criminal Court, and sent to jail in default of $500 bail pending grand jury action.
     Richard Martin, Negro, was identified in court as having testified at a police station hearing that he played a number at a store in the 900 block of North Eden street, September 15, and as a result a man and his daughter were placed on trial yesterday.
     When he took the stand yesterday, however, Martin had a lapse of memory, but finally recalled playing a number at the store of Benjamin Kulpe. The defendants, Kulpe and his daughter, Kate, were dismissed.

Nineteen days before his murder, Benjamin Kulpe was acquitted in a numbers case. That's quite a coincidence, and I don't believe in coincidences. I'm sorry, but I can't help but connect the two incidents.

I believe it is highly-possible that Mr. Kulpe was not killed in a holdup. I believe he might have been the victim of a mob hit.

I know I am treading on dangerous ground here. I certainly do not want to defame the dead or blame the victim. I am not accusing Mr. Kulpe of being a criminal. That said, do I believe he was selling numbers out of his store? Yes, I do. Was that illegal? Yes, it was. However, he might not have been doing it willingly. The numbers were a hugely-profitable racket controlled by organized crime. If they decided you had good location for their product, you had little choice but to agree. 

Additionally, look at the behavior of Richard Martin, the unfortunate witness in the numbers case. Could his "memory lapse" be a result of witness intimidation? That would be my first guess. Back in the day, snitches still got stitches -- or worse. Do I believe he was intimidated by Benjamin Kulpe or his daughter Katie? Absolutely not. Still, it's not difficult for me to see the mob influencing this trial.

Additionally, isn't it possible that Benjamin Kulpe said the wrong thing, perhaps inadvertently, to a police officer, prosecutor or judge during his arrest and trial? Something that might have angered the gangsters who ran the numbers? Possibly.

One additional news story about Benjamin Kulpe appeared in the Sunpapers in 1939 before he disappeared entirely from their pages. On August 6th, his death was one of many homicides unsolved murders listed from the previous year. It reads: "On November 16, 1938, a grocer, Benjamin Kulpe, was shot and killed by what was believed to be holdup men as he stood behind the counter of his store in the 900 block of North Eden street." Eight months later, the authorities still weren't sure of the motive....

I admit this is all speculation. Do I have any evidence that Mr. Kulpe's murder was a mob hit? No. But, on the other hand, there is no evidence his murder was the result of a failed robbery either. Nothing was stolen.

I'm just surprised that no one seemed to connect the two incidents. It was all public information. If they had investigated that angle, perhaps Mr. Kulpe's murderer might have received the justice he deserved in this world. Fortunately, I'm sure by now he has received perfect justice in the next one.

Rest in peace, Mr. Kulpe. You deserved better.

Remember, there is a story behind every grave. You never know what you're missing when you walk past one....

Grave Tales:

My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble. Chapel Street is the tale of a young man battling a demonic entity that has driven members of his family to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting. 


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Listen to me read some chapters here:


Read about the true haunting that inspired the novel here:

The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 1, An Introduction
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 2, The House
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1 
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3

Let's stay in touch:

Follow me on Twitter: SeanPaulMurphy
Follow me on Facebook: Sean Paul Murphy
Follow me on Instagram: Sean Paul Murphy
Subscribe on YouTube: Sean Paul Murphy
at 4 comments:

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast #106: What Are We Watching?

Here's another exciting ZOOM edition of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session. 

We originally had a guest scheduled for this episode who had to bow out at the last second. Instead of cancelling, we decided to devote the entire episode to our weekly "What Are You Watching?" segment. Some listeners have said that they really enjoy that segment. It clues them into cool new things. Now they have a whole show of it! I hope they enjoy it. It was a fun episode. Every one was very involved -- you can tell by the number of times we talk over each other!

Here's the podcast on YouTube:

   

Our Podcast is available on iTunes: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Subscribe to our YouTube page: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Check out our webpage: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast
Like us on Facebook: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast.
Follow us on Twitter: YKYPodcast

Check out our other episodes here:


My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer:

  

Listen to me read some chapters here:

at No comments:

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Creatively Christian Interview: Selling Your Script

Brannon Hollingswoth of Brainy Pixel Productions and Theophany Media recently approached me to appear on the Creatively Christian Podcast to discuss my career as a Christian writer. This is a subject I have discussed in other interviews, but the focus here was different. We mainly discussed how I marketed and sold my screenplays. I thought it was a great interview which should be helpful to budding writers of all sorts.

Here's the interview:

    

Click HERE to follow the YouTube channel. Lots of great content.
Click HERE to follow the audio Podcast. 
Follow him on Twitter HERE.

My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble. Chapel Street is the tale of a young man battling a demonic entity that has driven members of his family to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting. 


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Listen to me read some chapters here:


Read about the true haunting that inspired the novel here:

The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 1, An Introduction
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 2, The House
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1 
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3

Let's stay in touch:

Follow me on Twitter: SeanPaulMurphy
Follow me on Facebook: Sean Paul Murphy
Follow me on Instagram: Sean Paul Murphy
Subscribe on YouTube: Sean Paul Murphy
at No comments:

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast #105: Round Robin: Based On A True Story


Here's another exciting ZOOM edition of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session. 

This episode is another one of our Round Robins as the Mother Podcasters discuss their favorite films inspired by true stories. Lots of great choices. Check it out!

Here's the podcast on YouTube:

 

Our Podcast is available on iTunes: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Subscribe to our YouTube page: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Check out our webpage: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast
Like us on Facebook: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast.
Follow us on Twitter: YKYPodcast

Check out our other episodes here:


My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer:

  

Listen to me read some chapters here:

at 3 comments:

Thursday, May 12, 2022

The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 24, Bad News Betty

21 St. Helens Avenue circa 2013

My novel Chapel Street was inspired by my experiences growing up in a "haunted" house at 21 St. Helens Avenue* in the Northeast Baltimore neighborhood of Lauraville. This series of blogs provides an oral history of the actual haunting that inspired the book. 

I'm back.

It's been a couple of years since I wrote any new blogs about the haunting. That was mainly due to my inability to interview people during the pandemic. Now I feel I can continue my work.

In Part 5, I explained my intended methodology and goals. This is not an esoteric exercise for me. I am attempting to answer a question my mother asked me a few years ago: "Do you think the entity in the house was responsible, in part, for the deaths of Laurie and Mark?"

In these blogs, I first established the history of the house itself and our background as a family. Then I started interviewing people who had supernatural experiences related to the house. The interviews I conducted to date were the first time many of the people involved talked in any detail about their experiences. After I finish the interviews, which were interrupted by the pandemic, I plan to look into the facts concerning the deaths of my siblings. Then, finally, I hope to present the assembled data to paranormal investigators and experts in spiritual warfare to explain what we experienced and whether the entity or entities had a hand in the deaths.

Although I have started interviewing again, I am jumping slightly ahead with this blog about Betty Wells, aka Bad News Betty, a noted psychic/medium based in Hagerstown, Maryland, known for her amazing accuracy. She is the inspiration for the villain, Betty Kostek, in my novel Chapel Street . My sister Laura visited Betty a few days prior to her suicide, and I believe Betty's words directly contributed to her death but I'll let you be the judge of that.

Betty Wells

This will be a controversial blog within my family. My mother Clara, who was first introduced to Betty through a co-worker, thought it was very unfair of me to base the villain of my novel on the woman. She believes Betty was a kind and helpful woman. Others, many others, agree. Every time I mention Betty on social media, I am shocked by the number of people who say they met with her and swear by her abilities. Surprisingly, one of my fellow TouchPoint Press authors, Tina Shyver-Plank, discusses an inspirational meeting with Betty in her memoir Second Chance: A Kidney Between Us.** 

However, despite the accolades Betty still receives post-mortem, I wasn't the one who started calling her Bad News Betty. I can't remember who first used the term around me, but she had that reputation long before she met the Murphy family. Check out the story below:

The Frederick News (Maryland), 6 May 1971:

YOUR WHOLE WORLD IN THE
PALM OF YOUR HAND

     AS NATIONAL INTEREST INCREASES IN HOROSCOPES, occult meetings and Jeanne Dixon is heard in the land, (especially around Washington), we also have someone in our midst who can read your palm as if she had shared your yesterdays with you, and will be sharing your days to come.
     Betty Wells has been reading palms now for quite a few years, and if anything, she has become better at it. Recently, TV's Barbara Coleman, who has been to about every well-known palm reader and psychic, went to Betty and had her palm read. When she left, she declared, "She is the greatest one I have ever been to. And I've been to quite a few. She is incredible."
     How Betty is able to glance in your palm and tell you so much about your past, present and future is difficult to say. She will not discuss her powers. She simply enjoys them, along with her clients.
     Betty lives in a trailer-like construction five miles east of Hagerstown on Route 40 West. She does not read on Sundays. On Tuesdays, she reads only after 3 in the afternoon. Her hours otherwise are from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Maryland does not require palm readers to be licensed, so Betty does pay taxes on the money she takes in.
     Betty is not the sort of palm reader you should go to if you want a golden, rosy forecast. "I only tell them what is there," she says. "and sometimes what is there is not very pleasant for the client."
     To be on the safe side, it's best to call for an appointment before going, although you can appear without one. The number to call is 739-2840.

In later years, you couldn't call for an appointment. Trying to see Betty then was like getting tickets to the hottest rock concert pre-internet. You had to spend the night waiting in line. To see Betty, you would arrive the evening before your intended appointment. You'd wait in your car in the parking lot with the other supplicants. Sometime in the evening, one of her sons would come out and say who could stay and who had to leave. Then, if you were one of the lucky ones, you saw Betty the next morning.

In later years, she didn't work as many hours either.

Here's Tina Shyver-Plank's description of meeting Betty from page 68 of her memoir Second Chance: A Kidney Between Us:

     There was a psychic/medium in Frederick, Maryland, now deceased, who really helped me stay on track with my writing career. It wasn't the psychic, Louise Killinger, I had written about in my first book. The other psychic's name was Betty, and she was an older, humble woman who lived in abject poverty. She charged very little for a reading but was very accurate, unlike some psychics.
     There was a shed on the property where she did her readings, probably to keep her home free of negative energy. The shed was very neat and clean, a homey little space. I remember sitting at a table, and she sat across from me. She kindly instructed me to place my hands with palms upward on the table. She did not touch my hands or even really look at them. It was like a window or door had opened in her mind with my hands that way....

Tina had a great deal of admiration for Betty. Betty encouraged her to continue her education and keep writing. 

If everyone loves her, why do I consider her a villain? Let me explain why.

In the last weeks of her short life, my sister Laura visited Betty twice: once with her husband Frank and once with her aunt Debra. At the time, her life was spiraling downward out of control for a variety of reasons. She was clearly distraught, although none of us suspected for a second she would take her own life.

The visit to Betty with Frank, which took place about two weeks before her death, was uneventful. Frank was a skeptic, and he wasn't impressed with Betty at all. He said everything she said was general BS. (Frank is literally the only person I have spoken with that wasn't amazed by her!) However, the second visit with my Aunt Debra, which was only about two days before her death, was devastating.

Here's the gist of the entire reading:

Laura
What do you see in my future?

Betty
I see nothing.

WTF?!

What would you do if you were contemplating suicide and your trusted spiritual advisor said that? I know what Laura did.

Let's say Betty was a fake. That she was just a great cold reader. She would have still noticed my sister's fragile emotional state. It was obvious. So why would she say something like that? She'd have to be some kind of sadistic monster.

Members of my family were interviewed about the haunting on a podcast by a very well-known psychic medium named Marianne Coleman from New Zealand. Here's what Marianne had to say on her Walking The Shadowlands podcast:

I, as a medium I take my role very, very seriously. It's a sacred trust. And I never, ever will look at a person, or read a person without their explicit permission. You just don’t do it! It is unethical. I will - and I have this thing with spirit. I see it – I set boundaries. With them, really firm boundaries. Don't give me any information about people that’s not helpful to them. That's not going to be of positive benefit to them in their lives. Don't tell me things that they can't alter. Don't tell me things about their health, unless, something can be done to improve it. So those are the guidelines I set with Spirit. So when I, and I hardly ever do consultations these days, because, it just takes so much energy. I'm really blunt with people. I'll tell people what Spirit tells them. Like, I don't, I don't sugar coat it. I’ll say, look, this and this, and this is happening in your life. Because of this, or this behaviour. You need to perhaps look at the way you're doing this. So, it's like a positive thing. So even if they're getting growled by whoever is in spirit, they come away feeling uplifted. And they come away knowing that they can make changes in their lives, that will make a positive difference to them.

Obviously, Betty didn't share Marianne's ethical concerns.

Okay, now let's say Betty wasn't a fake. What if she was really communing with a spiritual entity? I can't imagine that an angel of light would instruct her to say something so destructive to my highly vulnerable sister. But I could imagine a dark entity doing so. Were Betty's words evidence of direct demonic manipulation into her death?

Either way, whether Betty was real or a fake, I believe her words helped push my poor sister over the edge.

One more Betty story.

After Laura's death, my surviving sister Jeanne decided to visit Betty herself. My sister had a different last name than Laurie and gave no clues to her identity as she sat down at the table in the trailer. Betty just looked at her and said, "I did not kill your sister."

The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

Here's her grave:


I'm not sorry I made her the villain in my novel.

Notes:

*21 St. Helens Avenue was the original address of the house when it was built. The street name and number changed over time, but I use the original address to protect the privacy of the current owners.

**Here's a video trailer for Tina's book:

 

Additional blogs about the haunting:
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 1, An Introduction
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 2, The House
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1 
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3

My novel Chapel Street was inspired by the haunting. You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer:

  

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Sunday, May 8, 2022

Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast #104: Round Robin: 1980s Action Films

Here's another exciting ZOOM edition of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session. 

We return to our Round Robin format this episode as each of the Mother Podcasters brings their favorite Action Film of the 1980s to the table. The decade was rich in action films. I would argue that it was one of the best decades for action ever. Check out our choices!

Here's the podcast on YouTube:

    

Our Podcast is available on iTunes: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Subscribe to our YouTube page: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Check out our webpage: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast
Like us on Facebook: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast.
Follow us on Twitter: YKYPodcast

Check out our other episodes here:


My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer:

  

Listen to me read some chapters here:

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Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast #103: Streets Of Fire

Here's another exciting ZOOM edition of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session. 

This week Chris Coker brings the Walter Hill's 1984 cult rock and roll fable Streets of Fire to the table. The film was not a success at the box office. Will it do better with the mother podcasters? Also, in this episode Debbie's mother Marion joins the fun from Punta Cana.

Here's the trailer for the film:

 

Here's the podcast on YouTube:

 

Our Podcast is available on iTunes: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Subscribe to our YouTube page: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Check out our webpage: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast
Like us on Facebook: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast.
Follow us on Twitter: YKYPodcast

Check out our other episodes here:


My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer:

  

Listen to me read some chapters here:

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Sunday, May 1, 2022

Coddling Hollywood's Toxic Entitlement


Did you ever wonder how monsters like Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey could flourish in a supposedly "enlightened" community like Hollywood? You need not wonder any longer. When Will Smith arrogantly walked onto the stage at the Academy Awards and slapped Chris Rock right across the face in front of a global audience, he pulled back the mask once and for all on the toxic sense of entitlement endemic in Hollywood.

All of Hollywood's glitterati, all of the A-Listers, all of the studio heads, all of the top producers, directors and agents, people of every race and every gender, just sat back and watched one of their own literally assault someone on live television and did nothing about it. Actually just doing nothing would have been a vast improvement over what they really did. Those enlightened few actually gave him a standing ovation thirty minutes later.

Wow.

Now you know why people who achieve success in the movie business feel that the normal rules of society -- or even its laws -- do not apply to them. They can expect to be coddled and excused as long as they make money for people. Although I bet you somewhere producer Scott Rudin was shaking his head saying, "Not in public, Will. Not in public."

I don't mean to pile on Will Smith. I feel bad for him. Based on his emotional and rambling acceptance speech, I believe Mr. Smith was dealing with some serious mental health issues. Castigating him would be punching down. But what's the excuse for Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey?

When the women bravely broke their silence about Harvey Weinstein, all of the A-Listers who cozied up to him for decades in return for profitable employment expressed shock. "We didn't know he was doing that..."

Bullshit.

They might not have known about the specific rapes, but they all knew he was a horrible, bullying monster 24/7. I live in Baltimore and even I knew that.

A couple of studios -- Paramount -- MGM -- were interested in releasing one of my films. It was quite exciting. Then the producers called me and said they were considering going with a Weinstein owned company. I advised them strongly against it. I said go with anyone else. Literally anyone else. I said Harvey Weinstein wakes up early every morning to figure out new ways to cheat filmmakers out of their money. They told me not to worry. They had an ironclad contract. Plus, they added, incredulously, that they heard Bob Weinstein was attending a Bible study.

They went with the Weinsteins and, surprise, surprise, they were cheated.

They should have known better. Books have been written about the Weinsteins. However, the offer of money by the Weinsteins blinded them.

You're willing to overlook a lot for money or power or fame.

And what about Kevin Spacey? If only because I live in Baltimore where they filmed House of Cards, I heard horror stories about him. Now, if I, who never stepped on the set, heard about it, wouldn't you think that the producers of the show did too? Are you telling me they never even heard a rumor? And what about the producers of his other films? What about his agents and managers? Nobody heard anything? At all?

No, of course not! He was making money for everyone. So hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

And this isn't just in Hollywood itself. Anywhere people are making movies, producers and directors are pressuring women for sex in return for roles.  And the lure of fame is so great that the women often will say yes.

I feel guilty that I haven't done enough to call out the Little League monsters I have dealt with. I only called out one of them by name in these blogs. I have bigger targets but held my fire because I expected to be called as a witness in a lawsuit and I didn't want unnecessarily reveal anything before then. Still, most of the stories are scattered throughout these blogs. I just don't name the names. Why? My excuse now is that I am waiting to tell it all in a book.

And maybe that is just an excuse.

Maybe I'm afraid to burn all of my bridges too.

Maybe I'm no better than anyone else in Hollywood.

I'm willing to admit it.

A producer recently joked that now I had an ending to my book trashing a well-known figure in the world of faith-based films. Yes, I probably have a great ending for my book now. However, my book was never about trashing anyone but myself. My book, if I write it, will be about what I was willing to overlook to have a quote/unquote ministry in faith-based films. Sadly, I discovered your ministry lacks any value if you're willing to overlook evil to have it.

I hope I write the book.

And I hope I wouldn't have applauded Will Smith too.

Other blogs about the film business:

The Downward Media Spiral, Part 1

Check out my novel Chapel Street. It is the story of a young man straddling the line between sanity and madness while battling a demonic entity that has driven his family members to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting my family experienced. You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.

 

Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer:

  

Listen to me read some chapters here:


Read about the true haunting that inspired the novel here:

The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 1, An Introduction
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 2, The House
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1 
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3

Follow me on Twitter: SeanPaulMurphy
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