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May 18, 2020
The Puzzling Tale Of Alferd Packer: The Colorado Cannibal
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
They say that fact is stranger than fiction. And when this actually proves to be the case, the story never disappoints. Cannibalism is arguably one of the most intriguing topics when it comes to the facts outweighing the fiction. From rituals throughout history to true horror stories, cannibalism has remained a taboo topic. But aside from the gruesome nature of this act, only two Americans have ever been considered to have legitimately been jailed for cannibalism: Albert Fish and Alferd Packer.
Who Was Alferd Packer?
Born in January 1842 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Alferd Packer lived an unspectacular life until the 1860s, during which time he joined and fought for the Union in the Civil War. Honorably discharged on two separate occasions, after seizures caused by his epilepsy, he struggled to make a living at a variety of jobs before turning to the gold rush for an attempt to make a quick fortune in Colorado—but this was no easy street. A tragedy during his short-lived career as a prospector would go on to dub him one of the most controversial characters in Colorado history.
CC Mitch Hell
In 1873, during a harsh winter, he and five companions—Israel Swan, Shannon Bell, George Noon, Frank Miller, and James Humphrey—set out to the San Juan Mountains in search of California gold. As conditions became worse and the length of their journey stretched on, the men slowly began to starve after running out of supplies. Having eaten everything down to the leather of their shoes, there was only one desperate source of sustenance left.
The Colorado Killer?
In what he called an act of self-defense, Packer killed one of his companions, Shannon Bell. Packer claims that the group of men became so hungry out in the brutal storm that Bell desperately came after him with a hatchet. To avoid being killed himself, he had no choice but to turn on Bell.
Packer claimed that the rest of the group was already dead, with some of their flesh missing, when he found them after the fight. Some accounts even suggest that Bell himself had been cooking the remains of their companions when Packer came across him. Finishing the job that Bell supposedly started, Packer claimed he was forced to eat the meat off of the other men, rather than starve to death.
Later investigations into the matter have been inconclusive as to which of the two men killed the others (a bullet hole found in a skeleton, believed to be Bell, didn’t appear to match with Packer’s story of how he shot his supposed attacker), but one thing’s for certain: Packer partially ate their flesh, as he later confessed during his trial.
Illustration from an article about Alferd Packer in “Harper’s Weekly”
After emerging from the mountains, Packer gave his account of the terrible events and was arrested. Without even a shred of proof that he hadn’t killed his companions, he was convicted and imprisoned in the town of Saguache.
According to legend, his judge reportedly roared:
“Damn you, Alferd Packer! There were seven Dimmycrats in Hinsdale County and you ate five of them!”
His chilling tale isn’t over yet, though, as he soon escaped his Colorado cell.
Almost a decade after his break out, Packer was finally located in Wyoming, using the alias John Schwartze. After a retrial in Lake City in June 1886, he was sentenced to 40 years in Cañon City’s jail (after a death sentence was reverted by Colorado’s Supreme Court), being paroled in 1901. He then moved to Jefferson County, where he died six years later at the age of 65. Ironically enough, the story goes that he became a vegetarian before his death.
The Colorado Cannibal’s Legacy
Though he died over a century ago, Packer’s puzzling story continues. He, himself, confirmed that he ate some of his companions’ remains but insisted until the end of his life that he hadn’t killed them (except in the case of Bell). Was the Colorado cannibal also the Colorado killer? We still don’t know!
Packer was awarded parole largely thanks to The Denver Post editor, Polly Pry. Her sympathetic stories turned public opinion in his favor by presenting him as a survivor of a harrowing ordeal, in which he had been forced to consume the flesh of his unfortunate companions to survive. Ultimately, we may never know if he was a vicious killer or a strong-willed survivor, but the dramatically different retellings of the incident certainly add to its fascinating appeal.
Considering his status as a local legend, it’s no surprise that ‘tributes’ to him are rife. The University of Colorado boasts a cafeteria grill dubbed the Alferd G. Packer Memorial Grill. What’s more, South Park’s Trey Parker, who attended the university, created Cannibal! The Musical as a student.
This retelling of his life (and several others) takes all kinds of poetic license with the subject matter, but one thing’s for sure: the story of Packer’s life is as incredible as the wildest story could make it!
By Chris Littlechild, contributor for Ripleys.com
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Source: The Puzzling Tale Of Alferd Packer: The Colorado Cannibal
May 17, 2020
May 16, 2020
May 15, 2020
Lizard’s Body Mass Is A Staggering 80% Feces
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
This Week
[May 10-16th, 2020] An astounding lizard, a new use for beards, a cat film festival, and the rest of the week’s weird news from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Watch Weird News Happy Hour from RipleysBelieveItorNot on www.twitch.tv
Lizard Breaks Body-to-Poop Ratio Record
Humans apparently aren’t the only ones gorging themselves in quarantine. A Northern curly-tailed lizard in Cocoa Beach, unfortunately, passed away due to its avarice. The lizard had been dining near a pizza parlor in Cocoa Beach, Florida, where it was found by a curious biologist from the University of Florida. She noticed this particular lizard was swollen. At first, she thought it was pregnant, but later discovered it was severely constipated. The lizard’s bowels had become congested after eating pizza-greased sand, and had developed a fecal bolus clog that made up a staggering 80% of its weight! According to biologists at the university, this smashed the previous reptile record by nearly 60%.
Beards Soften Punches?
Scientists had already determined that Homo sapien skulls had better evolved to take punches to the face than their now-extinct brethren, but now scientists think the beard may have aided early man in combat as well. Much like a lion’s mane protects its throat from fellow predators, dense beards may have evolved to soften blows to the jaw. According to the Journal of Integrative Organismal Biology, a messy, fluffy beard is better at absorbing blows than a finely combed beard or no beard at all, reducing bone-breaking impacts by as much as 50%!
Quarantine Cat Film Fest
While the summer blockbuster season has been put on hold, theaters around the country have gone without customers for months. Despite the lack of in-person ticket-buyers, however, the Row House Independent Cinema has decided to virtualize a film festival. They’re inviting everyone self-isolating at home to pour their creative energy into making award-winning cat videos. The panel of judges will select a Cutest, Funniest, Bravest, and Most Loving film. Nearly 50 theaters have joined them in helping showcase the most “a-meow-zing” videos quarantine has to offer.
Snakes Have Best Friends
Scientists at Wilfred Laurier University in Canada have determined that snakes are not as uncaring or indifferent to others as was once thought, but that they actually have fellow snakes they consider best friends and hang out with. The study followed eastern garter snakes and found that hey seek out social friends and can be quite choosey with who they decide to spend their time with.
Robo-pup In Singapore
The streets of Singapore are a little bit safer thanks to the heroics of a robotic dog. The robot is one of Boston Dynamic’s impressive creations and is being used to encourage social distancing. Lovingly dubbed Spot, the robo-dog not only patrols the streets for people getting a little too close but can also screen passers-by for Covid-19. The company says Spot is capable of taking heart rate, temperature, and respiration rate vitals al on his own. Next, they plan to equip the dog with sanitization gear to disinfect high-traffic areas.
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON!
Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
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