From July 1957 to March 1958, Pensacola was gripped by a series of disturbing grave robberies. Four deceased women’s bodies were taken from their graves – one from Roberts Cemetery on Creighton Road, and three from Whitmire Cemetery on Johnson Avenue, close to where West Florida Hospital now stands.
The perpetrator, dubbed the “Whitmire Cemetery Ghoul” by the press, managed to move heavy concrete slabs protecting the caskets, leading to speculation about supernatural strength. While no sexual assault was ever confirmed, rumors circulated that the grave robber was motivated by necrophilia. Despite an extensive investigation, the cases were never solved.
In 2004, Inweekly reporter Sam Baltrusis revisited these unsettling events in an article titled “Infamous: Pensacola Confidential.” Since its publication, the newspaper has received numerous responses from community members who lived through that period, many of whom were children at the time. The correspondence includes various theories about the perpetrator’s identity, including one from a retired police investigator who was 11 years old during the crimes. He suggested the culprit might have been a member of an influential family who used their connections to suppress the investigation. Other tipsters have named various suspects, though most of these individuals are now deceased.
Thanks to public records request, Inweekly received a copy of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office’s official file of the unsolved cases. Unfortunately, the folder was received while we were covering the BP oil spill and the disastrous claims process. The papers got stuck in a file cabinet and were recently discovered when the paper reviewed its archives for a podcast interview. I wrote about the file in 2021: Remembering the Whitmire Ghoul.
Sena Maddison has created a podcast on the case. She has found a possible link to the serial killer Ed Gein, who was the inspiration of the “Texas Chain Massacre.”
Please like and subscribe to her podcast and leave a comment.
Sam Baltrusis Update
Sam Baltrusis is an accomplished author and TV expert specializing in historical haunts and paranormal phenomena[1][3]. He has made a name for himself in the entertainment industry, particularly in the realm of supernatural and historical content.
## Career Highlights
**Television Appearances**
Baltrusis has been featured on several national TV shows, including:
– Travel Channel’s “A Haunting”
– “Most Terrifying Places”
– “Haunted Towns”
– “Paranormal”
He also appeared as a cast member in the shock documentary “The Curse of Lizzie Borden” on Discovery+, which won a gold Telly Award in 2023.
**Literary Works**
As an author, Baltrusis has written more than a dozen books[2]. His most popular work is “Ghosts of Salem: Haunts of the Witch City,” which is part of the Haunted America series. In total, he has 21 books listed on Goodreads, with nearly 3,000 ratings from readers.
**Online Presence**
Baltrusis maintains an active online presence across various platforms:
– He has a personal website (sambaltrusis.com) where he shares information about his books, projects, and events.
– On Instagram, he describes himself as an “Author and TV expert specializing in historical haunts.”
– He has a YouTube channel featuring videos such as “Investigating Wilson Castle” and “The Witching Hour with Patti Negri.”
Sam Baltrusis continues to be a prominent figure in the paranormal and historical investigation genre, combining his expertise as an author with his television appearances to educate and entertain audiences interested in supernatural phenomena and historical hauntings.
Photo Licensed under the Unsplash+ License
A oldtimer told me that whole Creighton Road area, east of Ninth Avenue, was called Gull Point in the 1950s, but I dropped that reference from the post, stating it is on Creighton Road.
roberts cemetary isn’t near gull point