Horrifying, Dark, And Upsetting Stories I Just Learned About

Posted 4 minutes ago

Hi, friends. I'm Crystal, and I write the That Got Dark newsletter, BuzzFeed's weekly roundup of all things creepy, macabre, and horrible AF. And if you looooove this kind of content, you should subscribe!!!!!

Here's what the newsletter is covering this week:

Warning: Graphic content ahead, including stories of murder.

1. The extremely violent story of Australia’s “female Hannibal Lecter,” Katherine Knight.

Knight became infamous in Australia after murdering her partner, John Price, in 2000. According to investigators, Knight stabbed Price dozens of times before later skinning his body and hanging the skin from a meat hook in the house.

Authorities also discovered that portions of Price’s body had been cooked alongside vegetables, with evidence suggesting Knight had planned to serve the remains to his children. While police intervened before anyone actually consumed the meal, the case became widely associated with cannibalism because Knight had prepared human flesh with the intent of serving it to others.

Long before this gruesome murder, Knight reportedly had a history of violent behavior. Former partners accused her of threatening them with knives, physically assaulting them during arguments, and carrying out disturbing acts of intimidation — including allegedly killing a boyfriend’s puppy and leaving it as a message after he left her. Investigators later said Price himself had repeatedly warned friends and coworkers that he feared Knight would eventually kill him.

Knight became the first woman in Australian history sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. She remains incarcerated in New South Wales, and the case is still regularly cited by criminologists and forensic psychologists as one of the most extreme examples of domestic violence escalating into sadistic homicide.

2. The creepy disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi, a 15-year-old Vatican citizen who vanished under deeply mysterious circumstances in Rome on June 22, 1983.

According to reports, Emanuela had spent the afternoon attending music lessons before calling her family to say that a man connected to Avon Cosmetics had offered her a promotional job handing out flyers. She was last seen near a bus stop shortly afterward and never returned home.

Because she was a Vatican citizen living inside Vatican City, the case quickly drew international attention and became tangled in theories involving the Mafia, Cold War politics, and secret Vatican scandals.

Anonymous callers repeatedly contacted the family with cryptic information, while some investigators explored possible connections to the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, claiming Orlandi may have been kidnapped as leverage in an international political plot.

Other theories linked the disappearance to organized crime groups allegedly tied to the Vatican Bank, while later investigations raised disturbing allegations of sexual abuse and coverups within church circles.

Despite decades of investigations, leaked documents, and supposed sightings across Europe, no definitive evidence has ever explained what happened to Emanuela, turning the case into one of Italy’s most haunting and controversial unsolved mysteries.

3. The tragic murder of beloved Saturday Night Live star Phil Hartman.

Known for his sharp impressions and effortless comedic timing, Hartman was widely regarded as one of the most talented and respected performers in comedy during the 1980s and 1990s. He was best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, NewsRadio, and his voice work on The Simpsons, where he played memorable characters including Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz.

Behind the scenes, however, friends and colleagues later described growing concerns surrounding instability in his personal life and marriage.

On the night of May 28, 1998, Hartman was shot and killed in his home by his wife, Brynn Hartman, while he slept. Brynn then drove to a friend's house to confess to the killing. The friend, Ron Douglas, drove back with her where he called 911 after seeing Hartman's body. Brynn eventually locked herself in the bedroom and died by suicide via gunshot. According to investigators, Brynn had been drinking heavily and using cocaine before the shooting.

Sometime later, fellow actor, SNL alum, and friend of Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, accused actor Andy Dick of "reintroducing" Brynn to cocaine, which he claimed led to her relapse.

4. Finally, the dark and controversial story of convicted killer Ángel Nieves Díaz.

Díaz was convicted for the 1979 murder of Miami bar manager Joseph Nagy during a robbery at the Velvet Swing Lounge, a crime that sent him to Florida’s death row for nearly three decades. While the murder itself drew attention at the time, Díaz later became infamous because of the disturbing execution that followed in 2006.

On Dec. 13, 2006, Florida prison officials attempted to execute Díaz by lethal injection, but witnesses reported that the procedure appeared to go horribly wrong after the needles were allegedly inserted improperly into his veins. Díaz reportedly grimaced, moved, and seemed to mouth words during the execution as the chemicals were injected into surrounding tissue instead of directly into his bloodstream. After the first round of drugs failed to kill him, officials were forced to administer a second dose, causing the execution to last roughly 34 minutes — far longer than normal.

An autopsy later found chemical burns on Díaz's arms consistent with the injection being incorrectly administered. The case sparked national controversy and renewed scrutiny over lethal injection protocols, leading Florida to temporarily suspend executions while the state reviewed its procedures.

His last meal: He declined a special request and was offered the regular prison menu, but he refused to eat that as well.

SEE SERIAL KILLERS' LAST MEALS HERE

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