The Black Hope curse is a supernatural belief that is said to have originated in the late 19th century in the Black Hope Cemetery in Texas. According to legend, the curse was cast by a vengeful witch who was unjustly executed and buried in the cemetery. It is believed that anyone who visits the cemetery or disturbs her grave will be cursed with bad luck, illness, and even death. Over the years, numerous reports have emerged of strange occurrences and misfortunes happening to those who have visited or disturbed the Black Hope Cemetery. These include unexplained accidents, financial ruin, and the sudden onset of strange illnesses. Some even claim to have seen the ghostly figure of the witch herself, warning them to stay away.
Black Hope
Case File: Black Hope Cemetery
Location: Newport Subdivision, Crosby, Texas
Date: 1982
Description: Black Hope Cemetery was an old nineteenth century cemetery for African Americans, but today, the location has been covered up by a housing subdivision.
Some even claim to have seen the ghostly figure of the witch herself, warning them to stay away. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, the Black Hope curse has gained a reputation and has become a cautionary tale for locals and visitors alike. Many people avoid the cemetery out of fear of incurring the curse, and those who do visit often do so with a sense of trepidation.
Case
History: In 1982, Sam and Judith Haney were one of several couples who purchased houses in the Newport area of Houston, Texas. A year later, when Sam went about having a swimming pool put in his backyard, an elderly man showed up at his door to report that he was about to dig up human remains. The reason he knew they were there was because he had buried them years before when the land was still a cemetery.
Proceeding to dig, it was not long before Sam came upon two skeletons just where the elderly man said they were. There were two pine boxes, each with the indentation of a skeletal form. Sam immediately called the Sheriff and county coroner who conducted an official exhumation. Most of the bones had turned to powder, but twenty-five fragments were found, some so brittle that they disintegrated when touched. Two wedding rings were discovered on the exposed skeletons' frail fingers.
Charlie and Betty Thomas' remains were found in Sam and Judith's backyard.
Sam and Judith tried to determine the skeletons' identity. They contacted long-time resident Jasper Norton, who told them that he had dug several graves in the area when he was a teenager. Their home and several others had been built on top of an African American cemetery called "Black Hope". The deceased were mainly former slaves. The last burial occurred there in 1939. Construction crews destroyed all traces of it during the building of the subdivision. Local research revealed the skeletons were of Charlie and Betty Thomas. They had been born into slavery and freed during the Civil War. They died during the 1930s.
Plagued by guilt for digging up Charlie and Betty's graves, Sam and Judith decided to rebury them. Despite this, the dead would not rest. One night, Judith discovered her clock glowing and sparking. When she checked, it was unplugged. On another night, Sam was working the night shift, so Judith was alone. After taking a shower, she heard her sliding glass door open and close. Then she heard someone ask, "What are you doing?" She assumed it was Sam, but he was not there.
The next morning, Judith went to get her red shoes, but they were not in the closet. Sam helped her look throughout the house, but they could not find them. Inexplicably, they turned up outside over Charlie and Betty's grave. They later learned that the same day was Betty's birthday. Sam believes that this was Charlie giving her a birthday present.
Sam and Judith were not the only ones that experienced supernatural phenomenon. A dozen of their neighbors also reported lights, televisions, and water faucets turning on and off. Many heard unearthly sounds and saw supernatural apparitions. Ben and Jean Williams moved into the same subdivision around the same time as Sam and Judith. Shortly after, Jean noticed that her plants kept dying. She reported that sinkholes appeared in the unmistakable shape of a coffin near their flowerbeds. They would fill them in, only to have them reappear a few days later.
Ben and Jean also noticed strange markings on a tree near the sinkholes. An arrow pointed toward the ground. Beneath it were two horizontal slash marks. A longtime resident told Ben and Jean that he had marked the tree. He said that he had done so because his two sisters were buried beneath it. Ben and Jean felt guilty for practically desecrating their graves.
Ben and Jean soon began experiencing supernatural phenomena. Random shadows slid along their walls accompanied by whispers and a putrid smell. Their granddaughter, Carli, who lived with them, reported that during the blazing heat of summer, she would encounter bone-chilling pockets of ice-cold air. "It would be very, very chilly and you'd have this feeling of foreboding, or just, you know, like something wasn't right," she said. "Anywhere in the house you'd have a feeling that you were not alone. Somebody was watching you. It terrified me to be in the house by myself."
Carli recalled other strange incidents in the house: "The toilets used to flush on their own. As the water went down, I could hear what was almost like conversations. You could hear people murmuring to themselves. It was a presence or spirit or something there. Something that wanted to be heard. Wanted me to know that it was there." Jean recalled another incident when she and Carli were about to take a nap. They heard the sound of the back door opening and closing. They then heard the sounds of footsteps walking toward them. However, no one was there.
Jean added, "I absolutely believe that all of these things happened to us because we were on the graveyard, and that we were simply going to be tormented until we left there." She wanted to leave, but Ben felt that they had to stay and fight it. He described encountering two ghostly figures in the house as he came home from the graveyard shift. They went straight into the den and headed down the hall toward the bedroom. He entered it and saw one of them standing above Jean. Fearing for her safety, he jumped onto the bed and it vanished.
However, Ben and Jean's problems were far from over. Within months, six of their close relatives were diagnosed with cancer; three of them died. They felt that the illnesses were caused by the spirits of the houses. Meanwhile, Sam and Judith decided to sue the developers for not disclosing that their house was built over a cemetery. A jury awarded them $142,400 for mental anguish. However, in a devastating reversal, the judge ruled that the developer was not responsible. The verdict was thrown out and Sam and Judith were ordered to pay $50,000 in court costs. They ended up having to file for bankruptcy.
Ben and Jean followed with legal action, but the developers wanted proof that the cemetery had even existed. Jean started digging up her backyard for remains. However, she soon fell ill, so her daughter, Tina, volunteered to finish the job. After about a half hour, she began to feel dizzy. She laid down on the couch but continued to feel worse. Ben called 911 and she was rushed to the hospital. She had suffered a massive heart attack. Tragically, she died two days later. She was only thirty years old. Jean believed that her death was caused by supernatural forces.
Ben and Jean ended up losing their entire investment and escaped to Montana, later moving back to another subdivision in Texas. However, back in their old one, none of the current residents have reported any paranormal activity. No one has ever been able to explain what happened to the Williams or Haneys.
Background: Research shows that many of the bodies were buried by Jasper Norton. He told Sam and Judith that their house and a dozen others were built at Black Hope. The deceased were mainly former slaves with the last burial in 1939 and as many as sixty people were interred there in paupers' graves. Sam and Judith decided to fight in court to sue the builder for not disclosing that their house was built over a cemetery. A jury awarded them $142,000 for mental anguish, but a reversal ruled on legal grounds that the developers were not liable. The verdict was thrown out and Sam and Judith were ordered to pay $50,000 in court costs.
Investigations: None
Extra Notes: This case first aired on the July 17, 2002 episode.
This case inspired the book, "The Black Hope Horror", by Ben and Jean Williams, and the movie, Grave Secrets, starring David Selby, Patty Duke, David Soul, and Blake Clark. The latter is also connected as a witness to the Comedy Store ghosts.
Results: Unsolved
Links:
- Black Hope on Unsolved.com
- Black Hope on Ghosthauntings.org
- Official unaware of gravesites - July 1, 1987
- Knowledge of graves denied - July 1,1987
- Jury awards $142,000 US for Poltergeist house - July 3, 1987
- Jury OKs $142,000 award to pair claiming weird events at home built over cemetery - July 3, 1987
- House built over graveyard; jury awards couple - July 4, 1987
- Samuel and Judith Haney vs. Purcell Company (1990)
- Memories of hauntings will always follow her - July 3, 1991
- TV movie dramatizes true-life horror story - March 1, 1992
- Fact-based Grave Secrets digs up spooky entertainment - March 3, 1992
- Black Hope horror doesn't haunt this hood - October 25, 2007
- Black Hope on Find a Grave
Black Hope Cemetery
A pool carelessly dug. A coffin, cautiously uncovered. The 1982 film Poltergeist brought this horrifying scenario to the public’s eye for the first time. The film plays off events from 1958 that occurred in a home in Long Island, NY. A man named James Hermann and his family heard popping sounds and found uncapped bottles of various substances, including Holy Water, strewn about their house. The poltergeist activity kept occurring for months in the new suburban home. Yet the odd thing was the Hermanns were the first occupants; the house was built in 1953. While the film took liberties with the plot line, adding the element of the pool and native burial grounds, it did not reach too far from reality. Concurrently something similar was happening in the small town of Crosby, Texas, unbeknownst to the film crew. In the newly developed suburb of Newport, a family was experiencing the same storyline as the Freeling family from the Academy Award Nominated film. The Haney family was tormented by the spirits of those below them in the old and forgotten Black Hope Cemetery.
However, skeptics argue that the curse is merely a fabrication or an exaggeration of incidents that can happen anywhere. They argue that the belief in the curse is perpetuated by superstition and a desire to explain unusual events. Whether the Black Hope curse is real or not, it has certainly captured the public's imagination and become a part of local folklore. It serves as a reminder of the power of belief and the enduring allure of supernatural tales..
Reviews for "The Black Hope Curse: A Modern Day Urban Legend"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Black Hope Curse". The plot was all over the place and it was hard to follow what was happening. I also found the characters to be extremely one-dimensional and lacked any depth or development. The writing style was also quite boring and it felt like a chore to get through. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating and well-written mystery novel.
2. Sarah - 1 star - I couldn't finish "Black Hope Curse" because it was just so poorly written. The grammar and spelling mistakes were abundant and it felt like the author didn't even bother with basic proofreading. The dialogue was also extremely cheesy and unrealistic, making it hard for me to believe in the story or connect with the characters. I regret wasting my time and money on this book.
3. Emma - 2 stars - I don't understand the hype around "Black Hope Curse". The plot was predictable and lacked originality. The pacing was slow and it felt like the story dragged on unnecessarily. The characters were also quite boring and forgettable. I was expecting a gripping and exciting mystery, but unfortunately, this book fell short of my expectations.
4. David - 1 star - "Black Hope Curse" was a complete waste of my time. The writing was juvenile and the dialogue was cringe-worthy. The author tried too hard to create suspense, but it just came across as forced and unnatural. The ending was also rushed and unsatisfying. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-crafted mystery novel.