Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong – Thanksgiving Bonus: The Witch’s Curse That Led to Murder

From "Crimes Of" with Sabrina Dianarroga & Corinne Vien
Date: November 27, 2025

Episode Overview

This Thanksgiving bonus episode of Twisted Tales features an episode of Crimes Of, where hosts Sabrina Dianarroga and Corinne Vien recount the infamous 1928 “Hex Hollow” murder in York County, Pennsylvania. The case weaves together real-life superstition, folk magic (Brauherei), paranoia, and a fatal belief in curses, resulting in the brutal murder of local healer Nelson Rehmeyer. The episode dives deep into the crime, the cultural context, the ensuing trial, and the lingering urban legends.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Mood: “Would You Rather” and Themes (01:34–03:57)

• The hosts begin with a playful “Would You Rather”:
  • Sabrina: “Would you rather live your whole life convinced you’ve been cursed, or spend a night in a haunted house knowing the ground might open and drag you to hell?”
  • The conversation explores the psychological toll of paranoid belief versus facing overt supernatural terror. This sets up the core of the episode: the power of belief and fear.

2. Case Introduction: The Hex Hollow Murder (04:34–08:30)

• Summary of Events:
  • On Thanksgiving Day, 1928, farmer Nelson Rehmeyer was found dead—brutally murdered—in his rural Pennsylvania home.
  • The murderers: John Blymire (obsessed with being cursed), Wilbert Hess (18), and John Curry (14).
  • Local superstitions and belief in witchcraft played a central role.
• Quote (08:03):
  • Sabrina: “There are no limits to what can motivate murder. Anything can be twisted by fear. And when superstition becomes stronger than reason, even the unthinkable can be justified.”

3. Historical Context: Folk Magic & Braucherei (11:42–14:26)

• Brauherei/Braucherei: A centuries-old blend of German folk magic and Christian beliefs, used for healing/protection.
• Practitioners (“Hexenmeisters”) wielded supposed supernatural powers, often regarded with a mix of trust and suspicion in the community.
• The Long Lost Friend book was a key text for spells/rituals.
• Quote (12:58):
  • Corinne: “Braucherei was faith in action.”

4. Nelson Rehmeyer: The Victim (14:26–16:11)

• Nelson was a kind but eccentric healer and community member.
• His “oddities” (estrangement from his family; reading socialist literature) and his role as a Hexenmeister made him a suspect target for fears.

5. John Blymire: The Cursed Believer (16:24–19:45)

• Chronically ill, mentally unstable, and perpetually unlucky, John Blymire spent years bouncing between doctors and folk healers.
• Modern hosts diagnose his suffering as likely anxiety and depression, but, in the 1920s, it was understood as “hypochondriacal melancholia.”
• Blymire’s turn to folk remedies reflects the desperate search for control in a world where medical science offered no comfort.

6. The Accusation: The River Witch of Marietta (19:45–25:27)

• John Blymire consults Emma Noll, the “River Witch of Marietta,” who performs a ritual with a dollar bill—convincing John that Nelson Rehmeyer is his tormentor.

• Emma’s “identification” seals Nelson’s fate, feeding John’s paranoia and convincing him a supernatural solution is required.

  • Quote (25:03, describing the cure):
    • Sabrina: “All he had to do was secure a lock of Nelson’s hair and bury it… or find Nelson’s copy of Long Lost Friend and burn the book to ash.”

7. Recruitment and Escalation (26:18–31:43)

• Blymire shares his belief with Milton Hess and his son, Wilbert, convincing them their own farm’s misfortunes are the result of Nelson’s curse.
• John Curry, an abused and impressionable 14-year-old, also becomes involved.
• Their plan: break the hex by obtaining a lock of Nelson's hair or destroying his ritual book.

8. The Murder: From Supposed Ritual to Violence (32:31–35:54)

• On November 27, 1928, Blymire, Hess, and Curry enter Nelson’s home under false pretenses.

• The situation escalates:

  • Nelson, trusting and unsuspecting, welcomes them and even offers them hospitality.
  • The trio, unable to simply obtain hair or the book, attack Nelson—beating him, binding him, and ultimately strangling him.

• They attempt to cover up the crime by burning Nelson's body and house, but the fire quickly extinguishes.

  • Quote (34:18):
    • Corinne: “John Blymire rushes Nelson. He throws his arms around him and shouts for the other two boys to come help … the original plan of getting a lock of hair is now a distant memory.”

9. Aftermath: Guilt, Guilt, and Ghostly Phenomena (39:50–41:30)

• The murderers, spooked by a shadowy apparition after the act, are haunted by guilt.
• Wilbert Hess confesses to his family, who do not turn him in.
• The fire’s failure to consume the crime scene becomes a point of supernatural speculation.
• Quote (41:30):
  • Sabrina: “They doused the house and Nelson in lamp oil… It should have completely burnt down… But thank goodness it didn’t.”

10. Investigation and Trial (42:02–47:50)

• Nelson’s wife points investigators to Blymire and Curry. Swift police work and media attention follow.
• The motive—witchcraft, not money or jealousy—turns the murder into an international media sensation.
• At trial, the two teen accomplices are painted as manipulated children; Blymire as mentally ill and delusional.
• All are convicted of murder:
  • Wilbert Hess: 10–20 years
  • John Curry & John Blymire: life imprisonment (though none serve full terms)

11. Psychology and Belief: Reflections (48:08–50:02)

• The hosts discuss placebo vs. real effects: Did killing Nelson “break” the curse, or simply break the psychological hold of belief?

• Mental health, suggestion, and the power of folk magic become central themes.

  • Quote (48:16):
    • Corinne: “The power of thought... we can convince ourselves of things. And I think John Blymire was so convinced… he truly believed he was cursed.”

12. Enduring Legend and Unsolved Mysteries (50:02–51:55)

• The story gives rise to the local legend of Hex (Heck’s) Hollow: tales of hauntings, flickering headlights, mysterious shadows, and rituals said to open the ground to hell.

• Two unsolved mysteries linger:

  1. Who or what was the shadow watching the killers as they fled?
  2. Why did the fire not destroy the evidence?
  • Quote (51:24):
    • Corinne: “There is an incantation, a ritual, that you can speak… to extinguish fire. Was Nelson’s final act as a practitioner to utter these words, so that his murder would be solved?”

13. Closing Reflections (51:55–53:01)

• No matter the beliefs or legends, Nelson’s death remains a senseless tragedy—an example of how fear and superstition can lead to violence.
• The hosts urge listeners to share their thoughts or ghostly Hex Hollow experiences.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “There are no limits to what can motivate murder. Anything can be twisted by fear.”
  — Sabrina (08:03)
• On the roots of folk magic:
  “Brauherei was faith in action.” — Corinne (12:58)
• Describing the sway of mental illness and belief:
  “The power of thought... we can convince ourselves of things.” — Corinne (48:16)
• On failed arson and potential magical intervention:
  “There is an incantation... that you can speak… to extinguish fire. Was Nelson’s final act... to utter these words, so his murder would be solved?” — Corinne (51:24)
• Final reflection:
  “No curse or no curse, they took a man’s life and there’s nothing supernatural about that.” — Sabrina (51:55)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Introduction / “Would You Rather”: 01:34–03:57
• Case & Context Introduction: 04:34–08:30
• Folk Magic Explanation: 11:42–14:26
• Victim Profile: 14:26–16:11
• John Blymire’s Descent: 16:24–19:45
• Emma Noll Ritual: 19:45–25:27
• Forming the Murder Plot: 26:18–31:43
• The Murder: 32:31–35:54
• Aftermath/Haunting: 39:50–41:30
• Investigation/Trial: 42:02–47:50
• Belief & Psychology: 48:08–50:02
• Urban Legends/Unsolved: 50:02–51:55

Tone & Style

Conversational, darkly comedic at moments, empathetic toward victims and critical of superstition-driven violence. The hosts use playful banter to make grim topics accessible while respecting the gravity of the events.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode explores how unchecked superstition, desperation, and group belief can escalate to real-world horror. The 1928 Hex Hollow murder is not just the story of a crime, but a cautionary tale about the human tendency to seek supernatural explanations—and scapegoats—for suffering. The true tale is as haunting as any urban legend, and its echoes still shape local folklore in Pennsylvania to this day.