The Twisted Secrets of Eugene Butler & The Unsettling Disappearance of Angela Hammond

▶ The Twisted Secrets of Eugene Butler | SERIOUSLY STRANGE #137
Eugene Butler proved to be more than just a little quiet or a tad bit strange. He proved to harbor a dark secret within his home that would shock his community and beyond.

▶ He Had to WATCH Her Get TAKEN | The Disappearance of Angela Hammond | SERIOUSLY STRANGE #138
Explore the chilling and unsolved disappearance of Angela Marie Hammond, who vanished without a trace from Clinton, Missouri, in 1991. This episode delves deep into the events of that fateful night, the ongoing search for answers, and the impact on a small town left with more questions than closure. Join us as we unravel the facts, theories, and the enduring mystery surrounding Angela’s case.

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Chapters

• 0:00 The Twisted Secrets of Eugene Butler
• 12:08 The Disappearance of Angela Hammond
• 15:24 [Ad] Cold Case Western Australia
• 16:13 (Cont.) The Disappearance of Angela Hammond

Transcript

0:00

How well do we really know our neighbors? Not like whether they have a birthmark or if they like brussel sprouts, but who they are ethically, morally. It's a topic of conversation when someone new moves into a neighborhood. Have you met the new neighbors? What are they like? Conversate Asians take place at the dinner table in the driveway, at shared fences over beer while manning the grill. Eventually, the conversation dies down. The main questions have been answered, and we go on with our lives. Feeling satisfied that the newcomer has been cataloged, labeled, quantified. In the late 1880s, news and people traveled at roughly the same rate. Letting your loved ones know you arrived at your new property to set up housekeeping and establish your family in a new place could take days unimaginable by today's standards of wireless immediate communication. Meeting new neighbors might also be a slow process over seasons, especially in farming communities where there's no shortage of work to occupy your time. Is your neighbor at the next parcel of land just shy, poor social skills? Maybe they're just really private or just a little odd. Eugene Butler was one such neighbor and he proved to be more than just a little quiet or a tad bit strange. He proved to harbor a dark secret within his very home, a secret that would shock his community and beyond. Born in Niagara, New York in 1849, the third of six children, he worked as a farm laborer in his early adulthood before setting out for the Dakota territory in 1882. A bachelor farmer, he purchased several parcels of land northwest of Larimer, near a small settlement named Niagara. By the time North Dakota officially became a state in 1889, he owned and worked 480 acres, hiring farm Hands and Laramore for each growing season and hunkering down for each bitter northern winter alone. He lived as a miser and recluse for several years, following the same seasonal patterns of only hiring workers on for the growing season and choosing to do all the house chores himself rather than hire on a housekeeper. He was reported to be popular enough and well-liked, though he preferred a more solitary lifestyle. As the years passed, he began to exhibit unusual habits, such as riding his horse at breakneck speed around the town in the middle of the night. Sometimes also yelling at the top of his lungs. He began to claim that men had been coming to visit him late at night, insisting he get out of bed, get dressed and go for long walks or horseback rides. Another claim he put forward was that all of the widows and old maids around wanted to marry him, especially in a leap year. Eventually, these odd behaviors and assertions landed him in the state. Insane Asylum at Jamestown, North Dakota, in 1904. Back in these days, mental illnesses were only described and classified in a primitive way, as were treatments at the time of Eugene Butler's entry into the asylum, there were seven conditions listed as cause for involuntary commitment mania, which could come from euphoria, delusions and hyperactivity, melancholia, monomania, which is simply mania with an obsession over one specific thing paresis otherwise known as partial paralysis dementia. Gibson mania defined as alcoholism with obsessive cravings and epilepsy. Common practice for the time was the quote unquote, insanity board, where a panel of doctors evaluated had cases submitted to them for review. Family members could recommend someone be reviewed or neighbors or other witnesses may also submit complaint and give testimony based on Eugene's reported behaviors. It's likely he was diagnosed with mania on the strength of his neighbors testimony to reinforce his miserly reputation. He was reported to have had 40 $600 in cash on him when the board committed him. That's just over $151,000 today. He was committed in 1904 and by all reports was a pleasant and agreeable patient. He even developed a rather passionate affection for one nurse, which was unrequited, and resulted in a bit of teasing from her fellow staff members. Eugene Butler only had but a handful of years remaining in his life and passed away on October 22nd, 1911. But the true mystery of this bizarre figure was only just about to begin to unfold. a law firm from Buffalo at the direction of his siblings had been administering his farm holdings, renting the farm and hiring laborers until other arrangements became necessary. Upon his death, his siblings divided the proceeds of the sale of his farm. And that should have been the quiet end of this story. But it's not. It took a few years to sell such a large plot of land worth roughly $1 million today. When excavation began in 1915 for a New Homes foundation at the old home site, workers were astonished to find human bones buried three feet down in the clay soil. The old house had a hidden trap door opening into the crawl space underneath. The bones were a complete skeleton of a male buried naked. Since no traces of shoe material, clothing or even buttons were found in the surrounding soil. After this shocking discovery, the rest of the old home's foundation was inspected for any other anomalies along one side. They discovered the foundation had been disturbed and another set of remains were discovered, followed by another and another and another. And another. Five more bodies pulled from beneath where Eugene Butler spent so much of his time isolated, away from the outside world. Early newspaper reports described all six bodies discovered as adult males, but more careful investigation revealed. The grouping of five bodies, all discovered together was likely a family adult, male and female with three juveniles. All five were buried at a slanted angle, and both adults had their legs broken in order to fit in the allotted space. As with the first male body, no traces of shoes, clothes or buttons were found in the soil. Each of the six victims had a sharp, clearly defined hole in the left side of the skull, made by a sharp instrument. Analysis of the soil layers and patterns of disturbance concluded. The bodies had been under the house for approximately 15 to 20 years after the initial shock of the discovery. The questions began. Who were they? Where did they come from? Why did Eugene kill them? Did he just snap? Did he catch potential thieves trying to steal his money? He was known to be tight with a dollar. Did he overreact to the natural curiosity of children snooping around on his land? Did one of his hallucinations suggest the idea? None of the neighbors reported any suspicions he mentioned. Aside from the assertion that widows and old maids pursued his hand in marriage, but also no one in the community knew of a man who had gone missing, let alone a family of five. The only lead ever suggested was an inquiry from Leo Urbanski about his younger brother, John Urbanski. John had returned home last in 1902, saying he was working for a bachelor on a farm in Niagara. The letter had been mailed from Laramore. It was the last communication Leo had from his brother. Forensic investigation has changed a lot in the last century. Now crime scenes are cordoned off during evidence collection to prevent tampering or outright destruction of evidence by onlookers. Whether intentional or by accident. In 1915, by contrast, once the neighbors found out the shocking turn of events and it was printed in the newspapers as people began coming to take a look. Some took more than a look. However, a local news station reported in 2016 that the bones of the six victims weren't stored at the Grand Forks County Sheriff's Office, as had been originally reported, but had been looted by townsfolk during the investigation of the Homesite site. Unless some of those bones are located and returned, it's extra grimly unlikely we will ever know the identities of the victims. But considering it's been so long, hope has more than dwindled. Had the mania begun before the murders? Or was it guilt that fractured his mind? Did his sanity slowly slip away during the bitter North Dakota winters? Were the murders crimes of passion precipitated by suspected theft triggering rage? Was paranoia about being stolen from the reason he was carrying a fortune in his pockets when he was committed? Did Eugene act alone? Had he had any hand in it at all? It's highly unlikely that any of these questions will ever be answered. But the only way to keep hope alive is to talk about these kinds of cases such as Eugene Butler, and to occasionally ask ourselves an important question. Are you sure you really know your neighbors? 1991. It was an incredible time to be alive. The nineties had just begun and for many the future was full of hope. But in the quiet heart of Clinton, Missouri, a phone call shattered the silence, a call that marks the beginning of a mystery that has echoed through the years. That call happened on April 4th, 1991, and that date became imprinted in the memory of a small town, a night when a young woman on the cusp of a new chapter in her life vanished into the dark, leaving behind nothing but a trail of questions. And the town forever changed. This is the story of the disappearance of Angela marie Hammond. From the heartwarming to the heart stopping. Join us as we delve into the depths of Angela's story, where every detail uncovers layers of a mystery unsolved left, a community rattled and a love story interrupted. And as the night unfolds, so too does the realization that sometimes the most terrifying twist of fate are hidden right behind us. I'm Bob Gaffigan, and this is seriously strange. Clinton, Missouri, a small town that prides itself on community and safety. It's here where Angela marie Hammond, a 20 year old local known for her friendly nature and bright future, and her fiancé, Rob Schaefer, were planning their lives together. Angela, affectionately known as Angie, had recently graduated from Montrose High School and was eagerly anticipating the birth of her first child with Rob by her side. Angie was four months pregnant and the two were engaged to be married. The couple's excitement for their growing family and future was palpable among those who knew them. They shared dreams common to many, a happy relationship, a hopeful future, and a peaceful life. Then came the evening of April 4th. Angie and Rob were together. As was so often the case, but she had to drop Rob off at his parents house for a while so that he could watch his younger brother. And she decided to leave for a bit. But the two still wanted to see each other again later that night. However, it wasn't confirmed where they'd be meeting, and Angie wanted to contact Rob to figure out what the plan would be. One single decision. If only she had decided to drive directly to rob, the two would likely be alive and well in their 50 is by now with the baby now a full grown adult, perhaps with a family of their own. But that wasn't what she did. She decided still being out to stop at a downtown payphone to give Rob a call. There was no way for her to know that a threat had been watching her.

Around 11: 16:06

15 p.m., Angie stopped at a well-lit payphone in downtown Clinton to call Rob. During the conversation, Angie mentioned a strange truck circling the block a late 1960s to early 1970s green Ford pickup with a distinctive fish decal on its rear window. They continued speaking, but as time passed, Angie's tone shifted from casual observation to concern. And then it very rapidly escalated from there. Rob could hear a disturbance on Angie's end, and the worst was confirmed immediately after. As Angie, soft and worried voice suddenly tore into a series of bloodcurdling screams. Rob, listening and shouting on the other end was helpless. And then the line went dead. Panic stricken. Rob immediately dropped everything and rushed to his car, which wasn't in the best shape. But he didn't care what danger he may have been put in. Angie definitely was in danger, so he tore out of the driveway and rushed to the payphone a mere seven blocks away as Rob neared the location. His heart was already pounding. He was sick with anxiety, not having any idea what he was going to encounter. Would Angie be hurt dead, but his life be in danger, too? It didn't matter. You just needed to get there to save Angie. If it was at all possible. But that's when he saw the sight. He'll never forget. As he arrived in the area, Rob saw a truck racing down the road in his direction because of how fast they were both going and the fact that it was dark out. He didn't have an opportunity to identify the truck from a distance. It was only once the truck was quite close. That time seemed to slow down. Rob could see now that the truck was green and matched the exact description Angie had given of the truck that had been suspiciously circling the block. In that same moment, Rob was able to see into the truck and to his horror, that a clear but brief view of his beloved Angie struggling against a man inside. And that's right. When he heard her voice just as the truck blew past. Angie must have seen his car. And so she screamed out Rob's name. Wasting no time, Rob whipped his car around and gave chase, pushing the accelerator as far as it could go, fueled by desperation and fear for Angie and their unborn baby. But soon after the very sudden U-turn, he made Rob's car begin to experience trouble with its transmissions and broke down. Rob could only watch as against all his efforts, his car slowed down. The distance between him and the truck grew greater, and he gradually came to a stop. Stranded, watching and crying out helplessly as the love of his life and his unborn child were taken away into the night and worked on with the dim red glow of tail lights in the distance. O The disappearance of Angela Hammond sent shockwaves through Clinton, Missouri. What began as a frantic search in the immediate aftermath quickly evolved into a full scale investigation. As the days turned into weeks and weeks and months, the mystery of Andrea's fate deepened. Entwining the community and a web of theories leads and dead ends. The Clinton Police Department, along with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, spearheaded the investigation. They followed every lead, no matter how small, in hopes of uncovering any clue that might have led to Angie. The green Ford pickup described by Rob Schafer as speeding away with Angie that fateful night became a focal point of the search. Yet despite numerous tips, the truck and its driver remained elusive. The case took an even more sinister turn with the introduction of potential connections to other disappearances within a 100 mile radius. The abduction and murder of Trudy Darby and the unsolved disappearance of Cheryl Kenny hinted at a possible pattern, raising fears of a predator targeting women in the region. However, despite similarities and extensive investigations, definitive links between these cases and Angie's disappearance remained out of reach. Over the years, several suspects came into the frame, each scrutinized under the weight of evidence and speculation from local criminals with histories of violence to notorious serial killers known to operate in the Midwest. Investigation casting a wide net yet none could be conclusively tied to Angie's abduction. As the years turned into decades without resolution, the disappearance of Angela Hammond continued to haunt Clinton, Missouri. Then, on the 30th anniversary of Andrea's abduction in 2021, the Clinton Police Department revealed a previously undisclosed piece of evidence, a ransom note composed of cut and paste letters like a scene straight out of a crime movie. It was connected to a police informant who had given critical information to authorities regarding a large drug operation in the area. The note mentioned the informants, police issued number to let the informant know that the sender knew who he was and mentioned the informant's estranged wife's name. Both of these things were redacted from the ransom note, but the note reads a low number. We know who you are. People like you deserve what you get. We know where your foxy daughter is, that she will see us soon. Tell her she has our deepest sympathy and her further loss. Goodbye, Number. This cryptic message which was sent the night Angie was abducted, suggested a devastating possible scenario. Investigators shared a theory that the intended target the night Angie was taken might not have been Angela Hammond, but rather the informant's daughter. And that Andrea's abduction was a case of mistaken identity. This seems even more plausible when you find out that the informant's daughter was also named Angela, and she too lived in Clinton at that time. This leads suggested a grim reality. Angie Hammond might have been abducted not because of who she was, but because of a tragic error in the kidnapers judgment or the information they had on the actual target. The revelation reinvigorated the investigation, offering a new angle that was previously unexplored. Police appealed to the public for any information related to this newly publicized lead. Hoping to untangle the web of hopelessness and desperation that had ensnared Angie and her loved ones for so long. Yet the truth about what happened to Angela Hammond on that April night in 1991 to this day, remains shrouded in mystery. The tireless efforts of law enforcement and the unwavering hope of a community continue fueled by the desire for answers and justice for a sweet and generous young woman. Her devoted fiance, Jay, and the family and future that was just within their grasp. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Angela marie Hammond, you are urged to contact the Clinton Missouri police Department at 16608852679 or the Missouri State Highway Patrol Missing Persons Unit at one 800 8773452.