1- Etta’s Psychic Murder Vision
On the morning of December 21st, 1980, a woman in her forties entered a Los Angeles, California jail cell.
Inside the cell, another inmate named Etta Louise Smith, aged 32, lay on one of the benches.
Etta had been in custody for the past four days. Law enforcement suspected her involvement in the brutal murder of a nurse in the vicinity, though the extent of her role remained unclear.
The police found Etta’s situation perplexing, as she provided little clarification about her information or her connection to the case.
Etta had endured a grueling 10-hour interrogation, yielding no progress for the police.
Despite a polygraph test and an exhaustive strip search, no new information surfaced.
Deprived of food for 24 hours and subjected to four days in a cold jail cell without shoes, Etta remained steadfast, refusing to admit any involvement in the murder.
Faced with her resilience, the police opted for a different approach on that particular day.
A woman in her 40s entered Etta’s jail cell, posing as an inmate.
Unbeknownst to Etta, this woman was an undercover cop assigned the task of befriending her, earning her trust, and uncovering any potential information she might disclose about the crime.
Upon the undercover officer’s entrance into the jail cell, the jailer swiftly closed the door, confining both the officer and Etta.
The commotion roused Etta from her slumber, prompting her to sit up on the bench and cast a gaze toward the undercover cop.
Etta’s appearance immediately caught the cop’s attention.
Despite the serious charges she faced, Etta didn’t fit the profile of a murderer.
She seemed like an unassuming, petite individual—a far cry from the image of a suburban mom, perhaps with a white-collar job.
However, the undercover cop was aware that such an unthreatening facade could be an effective cover for someone involved in criminal activities.
To the undercover cop, Etta’s calm and collected demeanor in the face of serious allegations was disconcerting.
Despite being wanted for murder and facing intense police scrutiny, Etta appeared nonchalant, lying down and sleeping in her cell as if the situation were of little consequence.
However, the undercover officer maintained a conspicuously impartial demeanor.
Taking a seat, she eventually inquired of Etta, “So, what landed you in here?” Etta merely glanced downward, offering a fleeting smile.
When she raised her gaze to meet the undercover officer’s, she teased, “You won’t believe it when I tell you.”
Intrigued, the undercover officer urged, “Come on, spill it. How bad can it be? Enlighten me on what’s happening here, and why you find yourself in this situation.”
It was at this juncture that Etta uttered something so unexpected that it nearly caused the undercover officer to momentarily break character: “Well, I’m pretty sure my life’s about to become a movie.”
Presently, the undercover police officer endeavored to maintain a neutral demeanor while absorbing the information.
Internally, however, she couldn’t help but acknowledge, “Alright, I’ve unmistakably unraveled Etta’s motive in this murder case.
Etta’s aspiration is fame; she envisions this incident transformed into a movie with herself in the starring role.” Simultaneously, within a jailhouse office, a police captain attentively monitored the ongoing conversation between Etta and the undercover officer.
Upon hearing Etta express her desire to transform her narrative into a film, he couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief.
It disgusted him, considering that Etta had recently led the police to the site where the lifeless body of 31-year-old Melanie Uribe, a local nurse, had been discovered.
Melanie had fallen victim to a brutal robbery and fatal beating, her body callously discarded behind a bush in a canyon.
Now, Etta was discussing plans to garner publicity around this appalling crime, a notion that didn’t sit well with the captain.
While observing the unfolding conversation between the undercover cop and Etta, the captain began to construct a theory about the events surrounding Melanie Uribe’s disappearance and Etta’s potential involvement in her murder.
According to his hypothesis, six days prior, Melanie Uribe left for her scheduled hospital shift in Burbank, California, a suburb of Los Angeles.
However, she never made it to her destination.
Colleagues, upon realizing her absence, contacted the police, prompting an investigation and a subsequent search for her whereabouts.
Following an intense 48-hour search, Melanie was still nowhere to be found, and the details surrounding her vanishing remained enigmatic.
Suddenly, Etta made an unexpected appearance at the police station two days later, claiming to know Melanie’s whereabouts.
The detective on duty seized the opportunity and handed Etta a map, urging her to pinpoint the location.
Without hesitation, Etta pointed to Lopez Canyon, an area approximately 25 miles away from Los Angeles, confidently asserting that Melanie could be found somewhere within that vicinity.
When questioned by the detective about how she acquired the information, Etta simply asserted that she had an intuitive understanding.
The detective, skeptical of the gravity of Etta revealing the location of someone’s body, pressed further, remarking, “Etta, confessing to knowing the whereabouts of a body is quite serious. What compels you to bring this to my attention?”
In response, Etta claimed that her conscience was burdening her intensely, compelling her to take the matter to the police.
The detective who initially interviewed Etta at the police station found her perplexing; despite her unassuming appearance, she conveyed her information with unwavering confidence.
It appeared as though Etta was genuinely motivated to aid the investigation, rather than merely seeking absolution for her conscience, as she had initially suggested.
Upon investigating Etta’s background, the detective uncovered her impressive employment at an aerospace company in Burbank, California, complete with government clearance.
It was evident that she had successfully undergone scrutiny by both governmental authorities and prestigious companies, passing various tests.
However, despite her reputable credentials, the detective couldn’t fathom a plausible explanation for why Etta possessed information about the whereabouts of a deceased individual.
The possibilities emerged: either she was misinformed, and no body existed, or if a body indeed lay there, Etta was likely implicated in the person’s demise or the subsequent disposal of the remains, perhaps even both.
So, the detective instructed Etta, ‘Return tomorrow, and we’ll arrange for a police helicopter.
We’ll soar over the Canyon and see if we can locate Melanie’s body together.’ Etta agreed, ‘Alright, that sounds good.’
She turned and exited. Surprisingly, within just an hour, Etta returned to the police station, accompanied by her two young children in the car.
She informed the detective that she had taken her kids to the Canyon and discovered Melanie’s body.
Astonishingly, she revealed that her 7-year-old child, currently in the car, was the one who had actually found Melanie’s body.
The detective found it incredulous that the woman not only undertook this task solo but also brought her children along.
Puzzled by her actions, the detective swiftly assembled additional support and, aided by Etta, proceeded to a specific location in the Canyon.
True to Etta’s guidance, they discovered Melanie’s severely battered body exactly where Etta had indicated.
At that moment, Etta found herself seized by the police captain who declared, “You’re being detained. I’m placing you in a cell under the suspicion that your knowledge of this situation implies some level of involvement.”
The captain hoped that a brief incarceration would compel Etta to divulge information.
However, after four days, Etta remained resolute, revealing nothing more than her belief to an undercover officer that her unfolding story could potentially be adapted into a movie.
The captain found himself in a quandary as Etta hadn’t committed any crime at that juncture.
Discovering a deceased individual and promptly informing the police wasn’t an offense.
Moreover, there was no tangible evidence linking Etta to the murder.
The only information the police possessed was Etta approaching them and disclosing the location of the body, which they subsequently found.
However, a turning point awaited the police captain on the fourth day, as a phone call was about to alter the entire course of the case.
On December 17th, 1983, fate took an unexpected turn. Etta, coincidentally on the same day, decided to visit the police station to disclose her knowledge of Melanie Uribe’s whereabouts.
However, at that precise moment, Etta was engrossed in her work, immersed in the mundane tasks of listening to the radio and organizing paperwork.
The radio broadcast seized her attention, with the local newscaster delivering updates on the mysterious disappearance of Melanie Uribe.
The newscaster detailed the discovery of Melanie’s abandoned truck, strategically parked on a dead-end street.
Police efforts were concentrated on scouring the vicinity, investigating nearby residences in hopes of unearthing information about Melanie’s fate.
Unfortunately, at that juncture, no promising leads had surfaced, leaving Melanie’s whereabouts shrouded in uncertainty.
At this juncture, while Etta is tuned in to the news about Melanie, a voice resonates in the room she occupies.
Clear and distinct, it addresses Etta, stating, “She’s not in one of those houses.”
Startled, Etta swiftly turns around, perplexed about the unexpected presence and dialogue.
Yet, the room remains vacant, devoid of any other occupants.
Suddenly, a series of enigmatic images flash through Etta’s mind—a dirt road, a bush, and finally, an indistinct white object that resembles a nurse’s shoe.
Etta’s eyes fixated on the three images before her, and in that moment, a revelation struck her: “Oh my God, I know where Melanie Uribe is.”
Contemplating her next move, Etta concluded, “As crazy as it sounds, I have to go to the police.”
Without hesitation, she hopped into her car and headed to the police station.
Upon arrival, she asserted, “I don’t know how, but Melanie Uribe is in that Canyon.”
Although the police suggested returning the next day for a search, Etta’s impatience got the better of her.
Unable to wait, she enlisted her kids and drove to the Canyon she had envisioned in her mind.
Indeed, upon reaching the location, she discovered the dirt road as anticipated.
Subsequently, she located the familiar bush and, assisted by her children, uncovered the white nurse’s shoe.
Positioned close to Melanie’s lifeless form, it affirmed the authenticity of Etta’s heard voice and witnessed vision.
On the fourth day of Etta’s incarceration, while conversing with the undercover cop, the police captain received a pivotal phone call that altered the course of the entire case.
The call, originating from another police officer, conveyed the recent arrest of three men.
These individuals had been apprehended after openly boasting about assaulting and murdering Melanie Uribe.
Subsequently, they had confessed to the crimes and were currently detained in jail.
Undoubtedly, Etta was not involved in the murder.
Despite the puzzling fact that she inexplicably knew the location of the body, the police had no choice but to release Etta on the same day.
Consequently, she regained her freedom.
Eventually, the three men who admitted to the murder of Melanie Uirbe were convicted and each received a life sentence in prison.
Six years down the line, Etta took legal action against the police department and emerged victorious in the lawsuit.
The jury firmly believed in her claim that she genuinely experienced a psychic vision leading to the discovery of Melanie’s body.
Contrary to speculation, Etta had no intention of turning her ordeal into a cinematic production.
When questioned later about her alleged desire to make a movie, Etta clarified that her statement to the undercover cop was more along the lines of expressing the surreal feeling of living through a nightmarish scenario.
The police had misconstrued her words, falsely suggesting she aspired to create a film.
Etta vehemently asserted that she had never pursued fame or acknowledgment for the events that transpired.
2- Lincoln’s Ominous Mirror Vision
On the night of November 7th, 1860, a 51-year-old American statesman experienced a deep sense of fatigue and happiness as he stepped into his modest two-story home in Springfield, Illinois.
Clutching a telegram in his hand, he reveled in the confirmation of his hard-fought election victory, a success that had been uncertain and required tremendous effort.
On the preceding evening, the politician had indulged in festivities and revelry, marking a significant triumph.
However, fatigue had set in, and he was now exhausted, eager to retire for the night.
Upon entering his residence, he grasped an oil lamp to illuminate his path and proceeded through the rooms to reach his study.
Once there, he set the lamp on his desk and positioned the telegram verifying his electoral success beside it.
The politician wearily sank into a sofa, succumbing to the embrace of sleep.
However, just before surrendering to slumber, he cast a gaze towards a mirror mounted on the wall.
What met his eyes left him breathless.
Abruptly sitting upright, he stared at the reflection in disbelief.
In the mirror, his own visage stared back at him as expected, yet beside it emerged another countenance, distinctly unfamiliar.
Resembling him to some extent, it bore a macabre semblance—a face that seemed more akin to a lifeless cadaver, peering out at him from the reflective surface.
The politician rose from his seat and approached the mirror for a more detailed examination.
As he neared, the visage of the deceased vanished, leaving only his own reflection.
Doubt crept in, and he reasoned, ‘Perhaps it was just a dream; it couldn’t have been real.’
Disturbed, he returned to the couch, reclining with the intention to dismiss the unsettling encounter from his mind and simply drift back into sleep.
However, he cast another look at the mirror.
Now reclining, he observed both faces once more — his own and that of the deceased.
In that moment, he rose and hurried out of the room, heading into his bedroom where his wife awaited.
Now, the politician’s spouse was an ardent spiritualist.
Contemplating the image in the mirror, he considered sharing the vision with her, hoping she could provide insight and unravel its significance.
Seated together, he recounted the experience.
After a brief moment of reflection, her demeanor underwent a profound shift.
Transitioning from curiosity to distress, she somberly conveyed in a tremulous voice that the revelation foretold his honorable service in the recently attained office for a single term, followed by a successful reelection, yet ultimately concluding with a fate that wouldn’t see him through the second term.
Upon learning this, the politician promptly dismissed the notion.
Turning to his wife, he remarked, “You’re aware that’s highly unlikely. I likely didn’t even catch a glimpse of a face in the mirror. Fatigue might have played tricks on my imagination. Let’s simply put it out of our minds.”
However, his wife remained inconsolable, collapsing into his embrace and weeping as if he had received a dire diagnosis.
In the ensuing days, weeks, and months, the politician’s spouse remained distressed by the perceived harbinger of death.
Despite the politician’s consistent reassurances that the ominous event was unlikely, the unease persisted.
Gradually, however, the spouse’s constant fear of the politician’s impending demise waned.
The politician, in turn, gradually forgot about the unsettling reflection witnessed on that particular night.
He proceeded to fulfill his initial term in the elected position, secured reelection for a second term, and then, on April 14th, 1865, while attending a play in Washington, D.C., this statesman and his spouse found themselves in a tragic turn of events.
In the final act of the play, a man named John Wilkes Booth discreetly approached Abraham Lincoln, the incumbent president in his second term.
In a notorious moment, Booth shot Lincoln in the back of the head, resulting in his demise.
Hence, Abraham Lincoln did not survive his second term, just as foretold by the ominous mirror death prediction.
3- Miraculous Mountain Survival
Awakening on April 1st, 1984, James Seier, a 28-year-old man, opened his eyes to a startling sight.
His entire body lay beneath a blanket of snow, much of it stained red, resembling blood.
Attempting to draw a breath, he was met with searing pain exploding in his chest.
As he explored his mouth with his tongue, he discovered an unfamiliar substance and encountered sharp objects.
Upon spitting, the realization struck him—it was a mixture of blood and shattered teeth.
James found himself in a state of panic, attempting to raise one of his arms, only to discover it remained immobile.
The slightest movement of his other arm caused intense pain, prompting tears to well up.
Consequently, he grappled with an overwhelming, all-encompassing pain, utterly bewildered about its origin.
Struggling to comprehend his surroundings, James was disoriented and unsure of what transpired.
However, James suddenly glanced behind him and spotted a massive mountain blanketed in snow.
Although he couldn’t identify the specific mountain, a thought crossed his mind: “I must have tried to conquer that peak.”
James, a self-proclaimed climbing enthusiast, essentially led a nomadic lifestyle, residing in his car and journeying across the globe in pursuit of the most perilous mountains to ascend.
James strained his memory, attempting to recall the events, when suddenly, the floodgates opened, and it all rushed back to him.
He recollected being in the Canadian Rockies alongside his closest companion, Richard Whitmore.
Together, they had embarked on the challenging ascent of Mount Deltaform, an 11,000 ft tall mountain.
As James retraced their journey up the slopes, the vivid memory of an avalanche striking them resurfaced.
Following the avalanche, James found it challenging to recollect the subsequent events.
It later became clear that he and his friend Richard had plummeted approximately 140 stories down the mountain, surpassing the height of the Empire State Building.
James, now recalling the massive fall, anxiously scanned his surroundings, desperately searching for any sign of Richard.
He held onto the hope that his friend might be nearby and that they could collaborate to navigate their way out of this perilous situation.
Certainly, at a certain moment, James glanced over and noticed a crumpled form in the snow, unmistakably another individual.
James immediately endeavored to rise and approach his friend, but the instant he tried, searing pain coursed through his body.
He was utterly incapacitated, unable to stand up.
However, James was determined to visit his friend.
Despite the pain, he turned over and, relying on his one functional arm, crawled toward Richard.
Briefly, he entertained the hope that his friend had somehow survived the catastrophic fall.
Yet, upon reaching Richard and observing his motionless chest, severely twisted neck, and contorted back, James came to the somber realization that his friend had not survived – Richard was dead.
James crumpled into the snow, overwhelmed by an intense mix of anguish, sadness, and fear.
In this desolate expanse, he found himself alone with no sign of civilization nearby.
It would be at least four days before anyone realized they hadn’t returned, as that was the agreed-upon time for James and Richard to be back home.
Unable to stand and struggling to breathe, James pondered, “I can’t even stand up. I can barely breathe. I’m so badly hurt. What am I going to do?”
Swiftly, James embraced the unsettling notion that his demise would unfold in this desolate place.
It was a scenario he had long envisioned, anticipating that a mountain would eventually be the agent of his demise.
Now, as the grim reality set in, he acknowledged, “I’m about to meet my end in this wilderness.”
With a sense of resignation, James lay motionless, fully aware that he was simply biding his time, awaiting the inevitable.
After approximately 20 minutes, as James felt his body growing numb and hypothermia setting in, a voice reached him from behind.
Approaching him was a woman who uttered, “You can’t surrender. Persevere, even in the unexpected company in this barren locale; the woman’s words and demeanor carried a comforting reassurance.”
Without hesitation, James’s entire perspective on the situation underwent a profound shift.
He found himself no longer prepared to succumb to despair and death.
Thanks to the encouragement of this woman, he now harbored a determination to fight for survival.
After adjusting his position and casting a quick look back at the woman, she directed him, ‘Don your coat.’
Despite the searing pain, James found the strength to support himself with his lone functional arm.
Retrieving his coat from the nearby pack, he painstakingly draped it over his injured and broken arms.
Once the coat was on, the woman directed James, ‘Now, take a sip of water.’
Without hesitation, he reached for the water, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip, enduring the sharp pain as the liquid stung his severely damaged mouth.
Once James set the water aside, the woman calmly instructed him, saying, “Now, disconnect from Richard’s body and utilize the tree nearby to lift yourself up.”
Consequently, he untied from Richard and, using his one functional arm, seized the tree, successfully elevating himself onto his severely damaged legs.
It was astonishing to him that he could even stand at this juncture, yet there he stood, upright on his feet.
Subsequently, the woman declared, ‘Alright, it’s time to proceed.’
Consequently, James initiated his departure from the mountain, with the woman trailing closely behind.
Enduring a prolonged period, he navigated through the knee-high snow, each step accompanied by a searing pain coursing through his body.
Whenever he faltered or appeared on the verge of surrender, the woman calmly encouraged him to persist, repeating the words, ‘keep going, keep going, keep moving.’
After enduring a grueling trek that lasted approximately four hours, James reached the camp he and his friend Richard had established prior to embarking on their mountain climb.
Hastening toward his still-pitched tent, he anticipated the comfort of a warm sleeping bag and provisions inside.
However, on his way to the tent, he paused, retracing his steps to express gratitude to his guide for motivating him throughout the challenging journey.
However, upon his turn, no one met his gaze.
Examining the ground revealed only a single trail of bloody footprints—his own—stretching back to the point of his descent.
The supposed guide, the woman, was a mere figment. James found himself deeply disturbed by the revelation, unsure of how to proceed.
Yet, he understood that immediate survival took precedence in this unsettling situation.
Hence, he headed towards his tent, endeavoring to enter it.
However, his hands, cold and severely battered, rendered him unable to manipulate the zipper.
Opening it proved an insurmountable challenge.
Eventually, after employing a tool to unzip it, he struggled to unfurl a sleeping bag, as if his body were succumbing to a shutdown.
He considered, ‘Alright, I’ll create a fire, and that should suffice to ward off the cold.’
However, it seemed as if his body betrayed him once more, rendering him unable to accomplish the task.
Initiating the fire proved beyond his capability. In the midst of James comprehending that, despite reaching the campsite, his chances of survival were dwindling due to his inability to utilize the site, he became aware of distant voices.
Immediately, James becomes anxious as he questions the reality of the voices he perceives, much like the woman he had encountered earlier.
However, without delay, three skiers appear just moments later as if to confirm their existence.
Astonishingly, among them is a highly skilled mountain guide and a nurse.
Upon spotting James, they quickly recognize the severity of his condition.
The nurse swiftly tends to him, creating a fire, ensuring his comfort, dressing him in warm clothes, while the mountain guide hastens to seek assistance.
Several hours later, a helicopter touched down, lifting James to safety.
Fortunately, he would fully recover.
Yet, it would be years before James mustered the courage to share the story of the enigmatic woman who had miraculously saved him.
Had she not approached him, encouraging him to leave, he might have succumbed next to his friend.
Fearful of being labeled as crazy, James hesitated to reveal his encounter with the mysterious woman.
When he eventually did disclose it, he discovered he was far from the only one who had experienced the phenomenon of an invisible helper.
This phenomenon is widespread to the extent that it is identified by a distinct term known as the third man effect.
This term denotes the enigmatic presence of a disappearing figure that intervenes to assist individuals in surviving profoundly traumatic events.
An illustration of someone encountering the third man effect is found in the account of the final person to evacuate the second World Trade Center tower during the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City.
Escaping just before the collapse, he credited his timely exit to the guidance of a mysteriously fading voice directing him to safety.
Hence, whether the third man effect holds any supernatural significance or is merely a manifestation of survivor psychology remains uncertain.
James, an atheist and scientist, dismisses the notion that the woman who rescued him was an angel or associated with any religious context.
He simply describes it as a presence that he required at that critical moment, stating, “It was a presence that saved my life, but that is the limit of my comprehension.”