NAVIGATION:

INVESTIGATION

Supposedly the investigation into the killings or Melanie Curtis and Alan Spencer is still ongoing, with the discovery of several other human remains at the same site it is hard to believe that the Woodland Heights Police Department has still not had any luck in bringing the culprit(s) of these heinous crimes to justice all these years later. From our research this is what can gather from the little information their is on the investigation into the ‘Cult of Ormon’ and their operation within Woodland Heights.

CRIME SCENE WALKTHROUGH:

16 MM Film taken by Sheriff Strode and Deputy on the site of the ‘Ormon Cult Murders’ at approximately 05:32PM on June 21st 1978. CASE FILE: 160165
All rights reserved and Property of the Woodland Heights Police Department. Posted for educational reasons.

(ABOVE) This crime scene walkthrough video details the discovery of the bodies of Melanie Curtis and Alan Spencer following the rescue of Christine Langley in a clearing in the Blackwoods Forest. Notice the positioning of the bodies, a familiar symbol seen etched onto the central tree and the appearance of other strange symbols, strings and bells adorning the surrounding foliage. It is important to note that the identity of the figure seen walking through the crime scene at the end is still unknown - it is has been highly theorised that this could be a member of the ‘Cult of Ormon’ or indeed the perpetrator of the crimes in question…

This video also highlights the lack of professionalism seen within the Woodland Heights Police Department, aside from the clear-cut commentary of Sherrif Strode, 2 other unidentified officers can be seen in the area, one slumped against a tree, seemingly smoking a cigarette next to the bodies of the deceased and another haphazardly taking photos of the crime scene itself.

(ABOVE) Photos taken on the active Crime Scene with Sheriff Strode speaking with another unidentified officer whilst waiting for the coroner to attend. Note the bodies of Alan and Melanie in situ on the forest floor.

AFTER THE MURDERS:

(ABOVE) Photograph taken in 1993 of one of the signs put up by Blackwoods Forest Rangers to prevent people entering the woodland after nightfall.

In the months following the murders in 1978, the Woodland Heights Police Department alongside the Blackwoods Forest Park Rangers enforced a strict curfew after 08:00PM in the National Park. As seen in the photo (left) signs appeared all over the park instructing residents to not enter after dark. This applied to the whole National Park and some of the signs can still be found nailed to the trees today.

STRINGS,BELLS & SYMBOLS:

(ABOVE) Photos documenting the symbols and string network within the forest by the Park Rangers. (Left) depicts what is suspected to the be the Sigil of ORMON.

Strange symbols had been noted as appearing in the Blackwoods Forest as early as 1975. Since the murders, the Rangers decided to make a conscious effort to remove all symbols painted into the trees, along with a strange network of strings and bells that converged on the murder site. It is unclear what their purpose was but it is theorised it was perhaps used as a form of navigation by the cult due to the size of the National Park. What remains unclear is why the chosen site of the murders was so special? In the years following the killings, the symbols and network of bells remained, being removed and replaced within days of each other. Eventually the police and the rangers gave up trying to remove them - some remain in the park to this day.

THE 1979 INCIDENT:

Very little is known about exactly what took place on the 1 year anniversary of the murders in the Blackwoods Forest. What we do know is that investigative journalist Eleanor Dunn had mounted an investigation into the murders and the suspected cult and entered the National Park on the morning of June 21st, 1979.

From what we can gather Eleanor was 28 years old at the time, a successful freelance journalist who had published work in a variety of publications around the world. Specialising in the field of the occult and true-crime mysteries her most famous expose came in 1973. Eleanor successfully infiltrated and exposed the ‘Buswan Cult’ of Eastern Asia - a group posing as a ‘healing community’ when truthfully their agenda was far more sinister. Over 40 members were later arrested and put to trial for the murders of over 60 children. Eleanor even helped several victims escape the clutches of the group, giving a statement at the time “This is why we do this work. If the media didn’t throw back the curtain on some of the ungodly attrocities that take place in this world we would never see the good and instead live on a planet consumed by evil…”

Eleanor’s whereabouts today are unknown. Nothing was ever published regarding her investigation. Her belongings, and case-file full of research she had gathered, were found days later by authorities who were concerned that she had not returned from her trip to the murder site. She had an interview set up with Sheriff Strode and the Mayor of Woodland Heights a few days after her disappearance but never showed. Her research was retained by authorities during the investigation and never released.

(ABOVE) Photograph reportedly taken at a ceremony conducted by the ‘Buswan Cult’ - these ceremonies would often involve the sacrifice and eating of infants for members to obtain ‘healing properties’ from the flesh of their victims.  Eleanor's Expose ensured the Cult stopped their practices back in 1973.

(ABOVE) Rare candid photograph of Eleanor in the field on one of her investigations where she was accompanied by Photographer Tommy Carpenter. All rights reserved.

Since the advent of the internet, online sleuths have desperately been trying to find out what happened to Eleanor. In 2009 an audio recording surfaced anonymously on an online forum that was dedicated to the strange events taking place within Woodland Heights. It is unclear where/who this came from as Eleanor’s tape recorder and research were confiscated by Police. From the recording though it seems clear that Eleanor made it to the location where the murders took place. What she found there however remains a mystery.

SUBSEQUENT COVERAGE & INFORMATION:

(ABOVE) A published article from the Woodland Weekly Newspaper dated June 14th, 1979. The article confirms that one year on the police still had no leads as to who could be responsible for the murders that took place a year prior.

Surprisingly very little was published around the murders following the initial reports in ‘78 - it didn’t even make the national news. The Woodland Heights Police Department seemed to become progressively uncooperative with many theorising that members of the Department might even be involved with the cult responsible. Of course a wild accusation but it seems that Eleanor who returned to the site of the murder a year later, had her own similar suspicions. If the so called ‘Cult of Ormon’ were responsible for both the murders and the disappearance of Eleanor Dunn in 1979, who knows how far this network of lies and deception runs.

Aside from a follow up article nearing the one year anniversary of the massacre in the Blackwoods Forest, the incident was not mentioned again in print in the town newspaper. The article alludes to the fact that the Solstice Celebrations were stopped in 1979 but we can confirm they resumed again in 1981 - 3 years after the initial murders took place.

The only other publication to feature any kind of new information came with the release of Christine Langley’s Biography in 2003. Immediately met with backlash the book soon went out of print and the validity of the information it presents is questionable to say the least.

For now we have to rely on journals similar to this to gather any new information.

Hopefully new information will become available soon…