The Popobawa

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The Popobawa (translates to bat-wing) is a legendary creature from the Tanzanian island of Pemba. It is known for its nocturnal assaults on people and is especially fierce towards those skeptical of its existence. The Popobawa is described as a shapeshifter with one of its forms being a bat-like figure. It has been the catalyst for mass hysteria several times in Tanzania. 1995 was particularly spread from Pemba to Unguja, Zanzibar Archipelago. Again there was brief hysteria in both 2000 and 2007. 

During the day Popobawa looks like an ordinary human, but when night falls he acquires a different form. He has a hunched human-like form with grey skin, long, pointed ears, a wide smile with fangs, a single eye in the middle of the forehead, and wings so big that they can wrap around him like a cape. It's described as being able to change form, sometimes being able to blend into darkness. It also emits a smell of sulfur. 

The Popobawa's single eye possesses a paralyzing effect on anyone who looks into it. It uses this ability to instill fear into the hearts of victims. The Popobawa then will gain access to the home instigating a lasting sense of dread. It would also attack anyone in the home including children. The attacks include physical and sexual assault or a poltergeist-like phenomenon. 

Because the Popobawa was known for repeat visits people could protect themselves from Popobawa by staying awake throughout the night outdoors, usually around fires with other people. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Mythlok

Villians Wiki

August 8, 1838 Manhattan, New York John Doe

 On August 8, 1838, an unknown man died at the City Hospital in Manhattan, New York. He would be buried at Potter's Field Fiftieth Street. There is little information in this case.

John Doe was a man around 45-years-old.

SOURCES:

Find A Grave

August 7, 1853, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania John Doe

 On August 7, 1853, a man died or was found dead in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is little information in this case. 

John Doe is a black male around 55-years-old.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Murder of Eileen Virginia Standley

At 5:10 pm on August 6, 1978, 53-year-old Eileen Standley's boyfriend came to her apartment at 415 W. Haskell Place #B Osage Hills Apartments in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Inside he found Eileen dead in her bathroom.  She was partially nude and her throat was slit. The crime may have been sexually motivated. There were signs of forced entry into the apartment, but there were no signs of a struggle inside. 

SOURCES:

Tulsa Police

Uncovered

Oklahoma Cold Cases

Tulsa World August 7, 1978

The Daily Oklahoman August 10, 1978

Death of Eveline Downing

 On August 2, 1924, 31-year-old Eveline Downing with her mother spoke to Dr. Lade about her pregnancy. Her mother spoke, but Eveline denied it and wasn't happy about it. He then sent her to Lambeth Hospital for general peritonitis. The two did not mention any help with abortions or such to the doctor. This was also the first time he had seen her and the last one she saw him was 2 years prior. He would sign papers for her as she was a war widow. 

On August 6, 1924, Eveline died from an illegal abortion. She would die in Lambeth Hospital in London, England. She had likely gotten the abortion because war widows would lose their pension if they gave birth. The person who had performed this surgery was skilled and was likely in the medical field. It's possible that the person who did the operation was trying to help her out but unfortunately resulted in her death. This person was never discovered, or at least in this case.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

The Birmingham Post August 12, 1924

The Gloucester Journal August 23, 1924

Disappearance of Marleni Salazar

On August 5, 2004, 16-year-old Marleni Salazar was last seen in Cutchogue, New York. There is little information in this case. 

Marleni is a White female and was 16 years old at the time. At the time she was 5'0" and 115 lbs. She has black hair and brown eyes. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Murder of Lisa Taodora Kopf (Monika Wiley)

On the night of August 4, 1998, 17-year-old Lisa Kopf and her 15-year-old sister left their home in Callingwood neighborhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The two would go to a house party near 102 Street and 132 Avenue. At 4:30 am Lisa would leave the party on her own. It's not stated or unknown why she left the party alone.

At 10 am a farmer feeding his cattle discovered Lisa’s body in a slough near 186 Street and 118 Avenue. She was lying face down in the mud in a slough. Her death was brutal as her face was held down into the mud until she suffocated to death. She had no drugs or alcohol in her system. She was not sexually assaulted and they may not have been the motive.

One od the early news article stated that there was a call to police around 5:20 am about a suspicious person near an abandoned building a few hundred meters away from where Lisa was found. It's not stated if this person was found or if they suspect that this person saw or knows anything about the murder.

It was stated that she was also using the name Monika Wiley.   


SOURCES:

Edmonton Police Service

Edmonton Journal August 7, 1998

Edmonton Journal August 9, 1998

Edmonton Journal November 5, 1998

Edmonton Journal Feb 2, 2018

Unidentified Photo: Many By the Radio

Library of Congress is looking to identify this photo of a man by a radio. It was thought that it was actor E.G. Marshall, but it is not.



SOURCES:
Library of Congress

Disappearance of Lisa Farmer

On July 31, 1983 18-year-old Lisa Farmer, Her Husband and their one-year-old moved into their new home in Lawton, Oklahoma. On August 2, 1983, Lisa's husband would leave for a military training exercise. This was the first night here they spent without him. At 8:30 pm that night Lisa would be last seen by her neighbor in her kitchen.

The next morning the baby could be heard screaming. They would check up on the baby to find him alone in the home. The baby was hungry and was wearing a soiled diaper. Lisa was nowhere in sight. The back door was unlocked and a window in the dining room was open. All of her belongings were still in the home and the only piece of clothing missing was a flower print nightgown she was likely wearing. There was no indications of a struggle, however.

Lisa grew up in Union, South Carolina. Her maiden name was Watkins.

Lisa is a biracial female White and Native American. She is 5'6" and 115 lbs. She has brown hair and hazel eyes. She has a scar on her hip, tongue, right ankle/instep, and under the toes on her left foot. She may wear eyeglasses and was wearing a gold chain, a floating heart necklace, and a gold wedding band with a diamond solitaire and may have been wearing a flower-patterned nightgown.

SOURCES:
NamUs
Charley Project

August 1, 2009, Clermont, Florida John Doe

On August 1, 2009,  several small bone fragments and teeth were found in a wooded area several feet from the main road in Clermont, Florida. It's believed that John Doe had been dead for years as the bones showed extensive weathering. He had died between 1900 and 2009. There were men's underwear and a blanket found near the bones, but it's unknown if they have anything to do with the remains. 

John Doe is a black male between 21 to 35 years old. He was 5'4". 

SOURCES: 

NamUs 

Unidentified Wiki

Murder of Seagram Miller

Seagram Miller was a rapper who went by his first name. He started his career in 1989 but debuted in 1992. He was a member of the gang 69th Village Mob. In 1993 he would record a song about a rival gang and it angered an Oakland kingpin. On June 29th the said gang would target him with a hit. The gunmen however failed to kill him.

Over 3 years later on July 31, 1996, 26-year-old Seagram and a friend were at a San Leandro, California Mall. Seagram would tell his friend that he wanted to go to Oakland. The friend agreed to go and claimed to not know why Seagram wanted to. 

Around 7:15 pm  Miller and a friend went to the 1900 block of 24th Ave in Oakland, California. When they got out of the van they were fired upon. Both men would be hit by bullets and go to the hospital. However, Seagram would pass away an hour later at 8:15 pm.

It's unknown if the gang he previously had a conflict with was involved in his murder. It's not stated if either men were intended targets or just in the wrong place at the wrong time. This area was known to be dangerous because of violence and drug trafficking. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Case Text

All Bay Music

SF Gate August 2, 1996

XXL Magazine July 31, 2018