Acclaimed author Allen Sircy, dubbed “The American Hauntstorian” for his expertise in folklore and history, brings readers his latest gripping exploration into America’s macabre past. In Fear & Folklore: Grave Robbers, Sircy shines a light on the notorious individuals who turned cemeteries into hunting grounds, weaving together the eerie, the grotesque, and the unthinkable acts of those who desecrated the dead for profit, love, and even revenge.
This chilling volume unveils the clandestine activities of some of America’s most infamous body snatchers. Readers will meet figures like Dr. Harvey Kendall, the “Boss of the Poorhouse Cemetery” in Syracuse, New York, who led a secret society known as “The Body Snatchers’ League.” Under Kendall’s reign, graves in Central New York were plundered to supply cadavers for medical study, exposing a disturbing side to 19th-century medical practices.
Also featured is Rufus Cantrell, the Indianapolis grave robber whose criminal syndicate provided medical schools with freshly unearthed corpses, turning the grim into a lucrative business. Sircy doesn’t stop there—he transports readers to Florida, where Count Carl Von Cosel’s obsessive love led him to a ghastly relationship with the preserved corpse of his beloved, illustrating the terrifying lengths some would go to keep the dead close.
Perhaps one of the most audacious plots revealed in Fear & Folklore: Grave Robbers is the shocking attempt to steal the bones of President Abraham Lincoln, as criminals sought to ransom the remains of one of America’s most revered figures. Readers will also learn about the 1894 attempt to steal Andrew Jackson’s remains in Nashville, in an audacious display of grave robbery that shocked the nation.
But Sircy’s exploration doesn’t rest in the annals of history. His new book also examines how the dark art of grave robbing persists even into modern times, uncovering reports of grave desecration in the 21st century. The stories he uncovers reveal a timeless and disturbing connection between the living and the dead—one that tests society’s boundaries of morality, respect, and law.
Allen Sircy, an author of over 20 books about the haunted history and folklore of the United States, is known for his meticulous research and captivating storytelling. Fear & Folklore: Grave Robbers promises to be an enthralling and darkly fascinating addition to his body of work, offering a compelling look into a world most would prefer to forget.
