Mysterious Events Puzzle Durham Police
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DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA. DECEMBER 16th (AP) – A month-long series of unexplained events and disappearances has the Durham Police Department searching for answers. “Like any proud and growing city, we have had our share of problems and crimes. But I’ve never seen anything like this in my 35 years on the force!” said Edward R. Chalmers, III, Durham’s Chief of Police.
Chief Chalmers was addressing a large audience of reporters, local leaders, and concerned citizens at City Hall following the disappearance of a teacher from Durham Central High School. Mrs. Ophelia Snowden had been a beloved English teacher at Central High for many years, known for her reliability and enthusiasm. Last seen entering Pender’s Grocery, her whereabouts are unknown.
For several weeks before her disappearance, students at the school had noticed strange changes in Mrs. Snowden’s behavior. She frequently arrived late for morning classes, seeming disoriented and anxious. Her teaching style changed, her lectures began to be filled with references to obscure symbols, calculations, and myths. She spoke frequently of fear and darkness. Students brought this to the attention of the school’s Headmaster following a shocking incident during which Mrs. Snowden actually grabbed and shook a student. “I am surprised to say that she yelled aloud! Something about a labyrinth or the moon, I don’t know. I couldn’t understand it all, she shouted several rather peculiar things. Before that, perhaps last week, she had drawn some of those symbols on the board. The symbols that have been appearing around town, painted on walls, and that were in your newspaper. The ones in the story about that poor professor that was killed. She appeared to have come unhinged over the last month, it’s just so sad ...” said a student who asked not to be named.
Mrs. Ophelia Snowden
Missing Durham Central School Teacher
The student was referring, of course, to one of the most bizarre events in this series of seemingly-related incidents. Dr. Michael Pynchon’s body was found by City maintenance workers in the garden of the First Presbyterian Church last week after he had been missing for several days.
Dr. Pynchon had been a pillar of stability in the Durham community for decades and was a respected lecturer in ancient languages at several local universities. Two days before his body was discovered, he had delivered a disturbing lecture in which he ranted at length of a mysterious global organization, an ancient “language of symbols”, a buried maze, and what “they” know. A university official, speaking on condition of anonymity said (continued, next column):
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“Dr. Pynchon had clearly been working too hard for quite a long time, spending far too much time with his strange, old books. All of us on the Faculty Senate knew he needed some rest. But then, to have him found like that, murdered, with all of those markings on his body ... it’s just too much to understand.”
Bizarre Markings Found on Body of
Murdered Professor Dr. Pynchon !
Police Chief Chalmers sought both to warn and to reassure the crowd. “We are asking all citizens of Durham to be alert and to report any suspicious activity to their local police. Rest assured, we are looking into these matters. If you see any symbols like those that appeared on the wall of Pender’s Grocery last week, please - please! - inform us immediately.”
Strange Symbols Appeared on Pender’s Grocery Store Last Week
Many in the audience were not convinced this was enough. Charlton Dolane, head of the Oak Grove Citizen’s Council, challenged Chief Chalmers “How can you say that, Sir?! In the last month we’ve had a teacher vanish, a local professor promise his students “secret treasure” from underground and then show up murdered the next day, and all of these strange symbols appearing ... in fields, on transients who say they’ve been attacked but can’t remember any details, on the murdered professor. What’s going on here? What aren’t you telling us?!”
County Farmers Have Experienced Bizarre Crop Damage
Chief Chalmers promised that he would update reporters if any new information became available. He then quickly stepped away from the podium.
See related stories in today’s edition:
“Some Tattoos on Murdered Professor Match Recent Crop Circles” page A2
“More Bizarre Crop Circles Appear in Nearby Counties” page A3
Other local news in today’s edition:
“University Library Can’t Explain Thefts of Rare Manuscripts” page D1
“City Council to Vote on Funding for Expansion of Stormwater Drainage System” page A5
“Sun, Sun, Sun: No End in Sight for Drought” page B1
“Meet Your Sister-City! Arkham, Massachusetts” page C3
“Bear Runs Rampant in Local Forest” page D9
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