The Ghost of Russell Colvin

Horror Stories - The Ghost of Russell Colvin

In May 1812, a man named Russell Colvin mysteriously disappeared without explanation from his hometown of Manchester, Vermont. Colvin happened to be the brother-in-law of Jesse and Stephen Boorn, who never liked him. Colvin's whereabouts would remain unknown for the next seven years until the Boorn brothers' uncle, Amos Boorn, shared a crazy story.

Apparently, Amos had been having recurring dreams where the ghost of Russell Colvin appeared at his bedside. The ghost said that he had been murdered and directed Amos toward a cellar hole on the Boorn family farm, where his remains were supposedly hidden. A search of the cellar hole turned up no remains but did uncover some items that allegedly belonged to Colvin.

Shortly afterward, a dog dug up some bone fragments at another location near the Boorns' property. The Boorn brothers were subsequently arrested and charged with Colvin's murder. After a forceful interrogation, both of them eventually confessed to the crime. Even when it became apparent that Colvin's so-called remains actually belonged to an animal and that the Boorns' confessions had been coerced, there was enough circumstantial evidence for them to be convicted.

Jesse would receive life in prison while Stephen was sentenced to death via hanging. However, in November 1819, when the New York Evening Post published an article about the Boorns' convictions, a witness came forward to claim he had seen Russell Colvin in New Jersey.

Colvin was eventually tracked down and brought back to Manchester to prove he was alive. On December 22, 1819, just one month before Stephen's scheduled execution, Colvin shocked the community by making a surprise appearance. The Boorn brothers were officially exonerated.