The Twilight Zone Tragedy

Located in the lawn of Everlasting Love of Forest Lawn Glendale lies our next deathstination.

Here lies young Renee Shin-Yi Chen. Renee died at 6 years old during the making of John Landis' Twilight Zone: The Movie.

Known as The Twilight Zone Tragedy, Renee, along with Vic Morrow and My-Ca Dinh Le, were tragically killed on set the night of July 23rd, 1982. Renee and My-Ca were both hired illegally by director John Landis to film the final scene at 2:30am. Since children are prohibited from working at night, and near explosions, both Renee and My-Ca were hidden from the fire safety officer in their trailers. When it came time to film their scene, a helicopter was in place, hovering only 25 feet overhead. As the explosions were detonated, the tail rotor of the helicopter was above the blast, causing the tail to detach. Both Vic Morrow and My-Ca Dinh Le were decapitated by the blades. Renee, however, was crushed to death by the skids.

Their deaths lead to stricter safety standards within the film industry, and this event marked the first time in history a director was charged with a set death. In 1987, John Landis was found not guilty. But despite the verdict, the Directors Guild of America began to discipline directors for safety violations. This had not been done previous to The Twilight Zone Tragedy, and as a result of stricter standards, set deaths dropped 69.9%. The children's scene was ultimately deleted from the movie entirely, and neither My-Ca nor Renee were listed as cast members.

 

My-Ca rests at Forest Lawn Cypress, while Vic Morrow is at Hillside Memorial in Culver City.

 

To locate Renee's gravesite, ask for a map at the front office and navigate slightly uphill from the Great Mausoleum to the lawn of Everlasting Love. You will find a marble canopied sarcophagus; park here and begin walking up the hill of the lawn across from this structure. Renee rests in lot 3707.

 

 



Happy hunting.

Pioneer Memorial (Ed Wood Wednesday Pt. 2)

 

 

Located on the corner of Bledsoe Street and Foothill Blvd in Sylmar, CA you will find Pioneer Memorial Cemetery (formally Morningside). With burials dating back before 1880, this was the cemetery where Plan 9 From Outer Space was filmed.

 

 

The second oldest cemetery in the San Fernando Valley, Pioneer Memorial was purchased in 1925 by a mortician named, Will G. Noble. After Noble's death in 1939, the cemetery fell into disrepair and was declared abandoned in 1958. Noble's widow, Nellie, eventually relinquished ownership of Pioneer Memorial to the Native Daughters of the Golden West so that Pioneer Memorial could be preserved. Thanks to vandals, many of the headstones (which were the only records of burial) were stolen. Luckily, a few of the stolen headstones have been returned. The only question now is where to place them. In March 2012, the community was called to action in an attempt to name the nameless. So far, only 13 graves are marked. On the San Fernando Valley Historical Society's website, a short roster of names of those interred at Pioneer is available (http://www.sfvhs.com/graves.htm). Most believe many of the burials were children who perished in the 1918 influenza epidemic and those killed in the 1928 St. Francis Dam disaster.

 

To locate Pioneer Memorial Cemetery go to 14451 Bledsoe Street Sylmar, CA 91342.  Due to the way many in the community have mistreated the cemetery, it is now only accessible every third Saturday of the month. Happy hunting!

 

 

Bits & Pieces

This is the urn containing the cremated remains of Marion Parker.

 

 

On December 15th, 1927 Marion was kidnapped by William Edward Hickman aka "The Fox".

 

 

Hickman pulled Parker from class at Mount Vernon Jr. High claiming her father, Perry Parker, was seriously injured and needed his daughter. Perry Parker was a prominent Los Angeles Banker, and shortly after Marion's abduction, Hickman began sending ransom notes demanding $1,500 for Marion's safe return. Perry Parker and Hickman arranged to exchange the money several days later on the corner of 5th Avenue and Manhattan Street in Los Angeles, following previous failed attempts. Mr. Parker arrived alone and could see Marion sitting in Hickman's car with plastic up to her neck. As soon as Mr. Parker relinquished the ransom money, Hickman pushed Marion out of the car and sped off. But something was wrong; Marion was dead. It was later determined that Marion had already been dead for 12 hours. Prior to the exchange, Hickman disemboweled and dismembered Marion. Later, Hickman confessed that he had intended on dumping Marion's body but figured Mr. Parker would want to see his daughter prior to exchanging the ransom. As a result of Hickman's thought process, he attempted to piece the young Marion back together by wiring her eyes open so  that she appeared alive.

 

 

Hickman was one of the first murderers to plead insanity in California but, ultimately, he could not fool the jury. Subsequently in 1928, Hickman was executed by hanging at San Quentin.

 

 

Locating Marion's niche takes some tact since she is inurned in a section of Forest Lawn-Glendale's Great Mausoleum which is "inaccessible" to the general public. See where that arrow is pointing? That is the door to the section in which Marion rests. In order to be given entrance, you will be interrogated. Ring the door bell and wait for the voice from above. Upon being asked who you are there to see, simply say Marion Parker (most Forest Lawn employees have no clue who this little girl was). They may ask for a relation. I always say she is my Great Aunt. However you would like to be related to Marion is your choice; just keep in mind that she passed in 1927. My first time was a little difficult. I could not remember what the columbarium was called and the woman kept hounding me for the title. If you fall into this situation, just remember to keep the peace... the columbarium is called "Peace". Confidence is always key, so once you are buzzed in, walk with purpose. Take the hallway straight until you come to the stairs; take the stairs down. On the lower level you can only go right. There will be two sets of glass-fronted niches. Marion is in the second set, on the right, above eye level, just passed the entry way to a corridor of crypts.

 

 

Big Brother is watching! If access is successfully achieved, go straight to her niche and then leave. Do not roam around. I cannot begin to stress this enough.

 

As always, happy hunting!

Weekend at Columbo's

Above me is the crypt of Russ Columbo. Columbo was considered a crooner, although he despised the title.  

On September 2nd, 1934, Columbo was accidentally shot by Lansing Brown while looking at antique pistols. Brown described that the bullet ricocheted off a nearby table and entered Columbo's brain above his eye. Six hours later, at Good Samaritan Hospital of Los Angeles, Columbo died after surgeons failed to remove the bullet.

What happened after Columbo's death is especially interesting.

At this point in time, Columbo's mother was sick with a heart condition, and his siblings feared that the discovery of her son's death might send her to an early grave. So... logical conclusion? They kept his death a secret. Feeling as if the charade would only have to last for a short time due to her current illness, they began a game of lies to account for Russ' absence. Unbeknownst to Columbo's siblings, however, Mother lived for another 10 years. Keeping up appearances, Columbo's siblings would send letters to their mother signed by "Russ". All the while, Russ had been at Forest Lawn Glendale in The Great Mausoleum.

I'm sure Columbo's mother was pleasantly surprised when she met her son in the afterlife.

To locate Russ Columbo's crypt, head to The Great Mausoleum. Take the main entrance where the ticket booth is located. I have never tried to freely walk in since there is always someone standing watch over the entrance. Let the Forest Lawn employee know that you are there to see The Last Supper and they will wave you in. Once inside, take the main hallway straight. You will arrive at a statue of a large angel (Elizabeth Taylor's crypt), go to your left. Find the "Sanctuary of Vespers", which is the first corridor on your left. Columbo's crypt will be inside on the left-hand side, above eye level.

The Mansfield Bar

Sometimes deaths inspire new inventions, such as the death of Jayne Mansfield.
 

This is the cenotaph erected in Jayne's honor by the Jayne Mansfield Fan Club.

Jayne's remains are actually interred at Fairview Cemetery in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania; not Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

 As with many of my recent features, the year of birth is incorrect on her cenotaph.

Born Vera Jayne Palmer on April 19th, 1933, Jayne was a blonde bombshell of the 50's, one of Playboy's first pin-ups, and mother to Law & Order: SVU actress, Mariska Hargitay.

On June 29th, 1967 at approximately 0225, Jayne met a gruesome demise. Jayne, her lover, Sam Brody, driver, Ronnie Harrison, and 3 of her 5 children were traveling down US Hwy 90 in Jayne's 1966 Buick Electra 225. She had just finished a gig in Biloxi, Mississippi and was headed to New Orleans, Louisiana for an early morning interview. After crossing the Rigolets Bridge, the Buick rear-ended a tractor-trailer that had slowed down for a truck up ahead that was spraying bug repellent. Going at a rate of speed of 80mph, Jayne's car went under the trailer, instantly killing all 3 adults.

Many claimed Jayne was decapitated, however this is incorrect. Jayne did suffer an avulsion, though, and was essentially scalped.

Following the accident, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration began requiring all trailers to come equipped with an underride guard to prevent these sorts of accidents in the future. The underride guard is affectionately termed a "Mansfield Bar".

The Buick, complete with blood stains, was purchased by Buddy Hough of St. Augustine, Florida. Buddy displayed the alleged death car in his museum, Tragedy in US History, until his death in 1996.

Sadly, the museum shuttered under his widow, Debra, and the doors closed April 1998. All the death memorabilia, including Jayne's crushed Buick, was sold at auction.

Happy Batman Day

In honor of Batman Day, here lies Bob Kane. 

Born October 24th, 1915, Kane is widely known as the creator of Batman. Entering the comic world in 1936, Kane worked for Eisner & Iger, one of the first comic book packagers. Through his work with Eisner & Iger, Kane began producing for DC Comics. Following the success of Superman, The Batman was created.

Kane was quoted in saying that The Batman was influence by 3 things; Douglas Fairbank's portrayal of Zorro, de Vinci's Ornithopter, and the movie "The Bat Whispers". 

Thanks to Bill Finger, we have the modern image of Batman who suggested that The Batman have a grey and black costume, a scalloped cape, gloves, and blank eyeholes in the mask. Finger also devised Batman's alias, Bruce Wayne. 

Kane eventually retired from DC in 1966, and passed away from natural causes on November 3rd, 1998. 

To locate Kane's gravesite, go to Forest Lawn Memorial Park-Hollywood Hills. Drive to the top of the hill where you see an old brick chapel. Behind the chapel is a large statue of George Washington (you can't miss it). Walk up the cement stairs into the gardens behind the statue, keeping your view to the right. Find the statue pictured above and you'll find Kane. His headstone has worn down so look closely at the stones. Happy hunting! 

A Tale of Two SpongeBobs

Amidst researching new deathstinations, I stumbled across a story I would like to share today. While I have never been to this deathstination, personally, I felt compelled to tell this woman's story because it is a shining example of a flaw in the Death Care Industry. 

Before I begin, let me preface this post by stating that I applaud the family for their creativity and for having the courage to fight, despite already coping with the loss of a child. We are cut from different cloths, and therefore, funerals should not be "cookie-cutter", one size fits all. Speaking from personal experiences, I believe memorialization is important, and that creative activities, centered around the deceased, can help facilitate the mourning process. The cemetery in this story not only did the family a disservice, but they also disserviced themselves in the process.  

Valentine's Day, 2013, 28 year old Kimberly Walker of  Cincinnati, Ohio was found dead in a Colorado hotel. Slain by the hand of her boyfriend, Kimberly was an Iraq War solider. A lover of SpongeBob SquarePants, Kimberly's family contracted with Spring Grove Cemetery of Ohio to have two headstones depicting the cartoon character installed; one for Kimberly and the other for her twin sister who is not yet deceased. Pre-approval was given to the family, and in October of 2013, the two 7,000 lbs monuments were installed. 

A day later, the monuments were evicted by cemetery management who stated that they were "inappropriate" and "nontraditional". 

In February of this year, a compromise was reached. The below photos depict what the headstones look like today. 

While I appreciate the Forest Lawns of the world, sanitized memorial parks will never carry the same allure as the stone-yards. Being able to walk among the headstones, reading the creative epitaphs, and marveling in the unique architecture is what draws many into cemeteries. Having these two monuments would have not only helped the family properly memorialize their daughter, but it would have also helped to draw business into Spring Grove Cemetery; a win-win situation. The management's actions were callous and I am sorry the family had to go through this. 

How Unfortunate

You poor unfortunate souls... meet Louise the Unfortunate. 

Over the years, Louise's story has taken on many different variations. Louise came to Natchez, Mississippi to be married. Where she came from no one knows. Some say her fiancée never showed up and she was too embarrassed to return home. Some stories claim he never showed up because he had died shortly before her arrival and she could not afford the fare to get herself home. Other tales tell that Louise did meet her husband-to-be but they had a severe falling out. AND... it has been said that the union never came to be because her fiancée was already married. For whatever reason, Louise stayed in Natchez and began working as a seamstress and housekeeper. Gradually, these jobs disappeared and Louise became a "woman of the night", working in brothels under the hill. Upon Louise's death from tuberculosis, she was very poor and should have been given a pauper's funeral. Fortunately for Louise the Unfortunate, during her time in Natchez she befriended a doctor... or was it that wealthy plantation owner... or was it a preacher... whomever it was, he paid Louise's funeral expenses and she received a proper burial. 

Today, Louise rests in a small Jewish section at the Natchez City Cemetery. To locate her grave, take the main entrance straight into the cemetery. Ahead you will find the information office to the left of the road; stop here. Across from the information office you will find the archway pictured above. Enter through the brick-way and go right. This section is quite small compared to the rest of the cemetery which makes finding Louise easy. Additionally, her grave is marked with a stake that reads, "9b". 

 *WARNING* Beware of fire ants.  

   

All horrible cemetery selfies (like the one pictured above) can be hashtagged #deathstination on Instagram. As always,      HAPPY HUNTING! 

*fire ants were hurt in the taking of said selfie*

There's Something in the Water (Happy 4th of July)

In honor of the 4th of July, today's deathstination is a little unorthodox. As many of you head to the beach for bon fires and BBQ, remember that the ocean is the final resting place for many.

With the ever growing cremation rates, many families choose to scatter their loved one's cremated remains at sea. 

Additionally, some individuals who served in the Navy have their whole body buried at sea. 

On top of all those remains that have legally been interred in the ocean, you can't forget the unfortunate victims of boating/surfing accidents and those that have been murder and hidden away in the vast sea (coughDEXTERcough). 

So have fun this holiday weekend... just remember not to drink the water. 

Hoodoo Voodoo

Our next deathstination is probably the most visited gravesite in Louisiana; the grave of Marie Laveau The Voodoo Queen. Anyone that has been following me on Instagram knows that 3 weeks ago I tried to feature this deathstination. Due to some spooky happenings, however, I was unable to share Marie's story. Let's see if the curse has been lifted.

 

 

Born on September 10th, 1794 (some records indicate she was born in 1801), Marie was born a free woman in New Orleans' French Quarter. Marie's Voodoo career took off after the death of her husband, Jacques Paris. Now known as the Widow Paris, Marie began hairdressing for the wealthy Whites and Creole of New Orleans. In the course of Maire's work, the wealthy women confessed their most intimate secrets. Seeing this as her opportunity to make Voodoo profitable, Marie began selling her Voodoo services, as well as her famous Gris-Gris.

 

Years earlier in 1817, Nola had passed an ordinance forbidding Blacks to gather and dance, with the exception of Sundays at designated, pre-approved spaces. This did not stop the Voodoo ceremonies, however, and practitioners of Voodoo continued to gather in secret at Lake Pontchartrain. With Marie's influence, the public started attending the lakeside Voodoo ceremonies. This both instilled fear in the White population as well as advertised Marie's services, solidifying Marie as The Voodoo Queen.

 

It has been said that Marie was also known to host secret orgies for wealthy White and Creole men who were seeking Black/Mulatto mistresses. During this time, Marie was in a romantic relationship with a gentleman by the name of, Louis Christopher Duminy de Clapion. While never married, Louis and Marie had 15 children. Due to Catholic naming practices, many of the women in Marie's family eventually took her name, including her daughter, Marie Laveau II. Marie Laveau II eventually began following in her mother's footsteps.

 

 

Around 1875, Marie retired and spent the rest of her days in her home at present day 1020 St. Ann Street (her original home was demolished in 1903).

 

 

Marie was the original Tupac, because following her death on June 16th, 1881, people claimed they saw her still wandering around town. Many believe the logical explanation to this is that Marie Laveau II was being mistaken for her mother. This confusion has also transferred over into Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1, where many graves have been mistakenly marked with the notorious 'XXX'. This confusion is attributed to the fact that so many women bore the name, Marie Laveau. Thankfully, I can assure you the real Voodoo Queen is resting in the center crypt of the above tomb, because while I was visiting Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1, I was informed that DNA had confirmed the identity of her remains.

 

 

Swarms of people visit Marie's final resting place every year to make wishes. An old rumor stated that one was supposed to mark Marie's tomb with a 'X', turn around 3 times, knock on the tomb, and yell out the wish. If the wish was granted, one must return with an offering and circle their 'X'. This is not necessary and illegal. If you get the chance to visit Marie and want to make a wish, simply touch her tomb and envision what you want. *No creepy baby figurines necessary*

 

 

Locating Marie's tomb isn't difficult at all. Simply enter Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1 and go to your left. Her tomb sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

HAPPY HUNTING!

 

Criswell Predicts (Ed Wood Wednesday pt.1)

 

I predict most of you don't know who Criswell was.

 

Born Jeron "Charles" Criswell Konig on August 18th, 1907, The Amazing Criswell was a flamboyant actor best known for his spit-curled hair and sequined tuxedo. He was the nephew to Indiana Funeral Directors and began sleeping in caskets at a young age; a kooky trait he carried on into adulthood.

 

 

Claiming to have psychic abilities (or at least until he started earning money), Criswell achieved notoriety for his predictions. Most of his predictions never manifested, especially his claim that the world would end on August 18th, 1999 as a result of space rays striking Denver causing all metal to adopt rubber qualities. However... there was that one prediction. On March 10th, 1963, Criswell predicted on air that John F. Kennedy would not run for re-election because something was going to happen to him in November. On November 22nd of that year, JFK was assassinated. Johnny Carson was known for spoofing Criswell during the 60s by portraying a character called "Carswell". Later in life, Criswell teamed up with Edward D. Wood Jr. and can be seen making his predictions in Plan 9 From Outer Space. The Amazing Criswell crossed over on October 4th, 1982 and now rests in a niche of remembrance at Pierce Brothers Valhalla of North Hollywood, CA.

 

 

To visit The Amazing Criswell go to Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park at

10621 Victory Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91606.

Upon entering, head to the mausoleums on your left hand side.

There are three mosaics on the mausoleum walls. Find the mosaic titled "Remembrance".

Walk into the entrance on the left of the Remembrance mosaic.

Once inside, you will find a wall of tiny niches (columbarium).

Criswell's niche is located six rows up from the bottom and 5 niches in from the right side.

 

 

If you visit any of the deathstinations I've featured, I'd love to see your photos! Hashtag your photos #deathstination on Instagram or email them to me at Deathstination@outlook.com.

HAPPY HUNTING! 

 

San Diego Poltergeist

 

Let's start by journeying back to one of my favorite deathstinations.

 

This is Pioneer Park of San Diego, CA. From the road, this looks like a normal park... but looks can be deceiving. Between the years of 1875 and 1960, Pioneer Park was better know as Calvary Cemetery. In 1968, Calvary Cemetery was declared a public nuisance after it had been greatly neglected by the city. Two years later, the city of San Diego evicted the headstones so that Calvary Cemetery could become Pioneer Park. You read that correctly! Only the headstones were removed, leaving behind the nearly 4,000 human remains interred below. If you walk to the back of Pioneer Park you will find this wall of headstones. These headstones are the only link to the history buried below.

Welcome!

 

After receiving an overwhelming response to my Instagram page, Deathstination, I have decided to cave in and create a blog. You maybe asking yourself, what is Deathstination? Well... Deathstination is my contribution to the death revolution. After the turn of the century, death became a very taboo subject in the United States. Instead of caring for our own dead, we sent them into the hands of others (such as myself) and turned away from the reality of death. As a licensed Funeral Director (and soon to be licensed Embalmer) in the state of California, I confront death head-on daily. One of my favorite pastimes is to grave hunt. Many people simply posts their grave photos on the internet, but not many explain who these people were; that is where I come in. People shouldn't be forgotten and so I am compiling a collection of grave photos, along with the historical significances of each person/place. So stick around for some interesting reads and, if you haven't done so already, head over to my Instagram page and follow. Thanks for all the support!

 

Sincerely,

 

Lila Krieg