The Phantom Clowns Outbreak.

I read an article and i am not sure if a thread has been started on this already. I find this facinating on so many levels. I will post an excerpt from the article and of course some extrapolations of my own and would like to hear from anyone if they have heard of any recent outbreaks. Also keep in mind the last outbreak occurred in 2008.
They have returned.

In Mysterious America, I detailed the national wave of shadowy 1981 sightings of clowns in vans, trying to kidnap children, from Boston to Kansas City.

The encounters began in May of 1981, in Boston, Brookline, and other Massachusetts communities. By the end of the month, the local newspapers in Kansas City were publishing warnings about "Killer Clowns" said to be after children at bus stops there.

During an era before emails and the Internet, I was able to discover, via my network of correspondents, that a rash of local news articles were appearing across the USA, describing similar abduction scenarios. Although the national newspapers and wire services were totally unaware of the widespread nature of such accounts, the stories were remarkably alike. I called them the "Phantom Clowns."

Repeats of almost identical Phantom Clown encounters have been recorded since 1981. The latest one is now developing in Illinois.

The reports coming from Chicago have even been tied to a Wicker Park, which has a symbolic name linked to New York City's Son of Sam killings of 1976-1977. In letters to the media, the serial killer signed himself as "The Wicked King Wicker" and allegedly shoot a Wicker Street German shepherd.

In the October 2008 incidents, a man wearing clown make-up and a wig is using balloons in an attempt to lure children into his vehicle on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. Police issued an alert about a week after a man with a similar description was spotted on the West Side.

The near abductions were reported in the 8300 block of South Mackinaw and the 10000 block of South Normal, according to a community alert by Calumet Area detectives.

The man, who wears clown make-up and a wig, approached children with balloons attempting to lure them into his vehicle, but the children ran and called 911, the alert said.

The man, who wears a clown mask or white face paint with teardrops on the cheek, has approached children walking to and from school, police said. Witnesses told police he was seen driving a white or brown van with the windows broken out.

The attempted kidnapping/child abduction occurred on October 7, 2008, at 5:55 p.m. and October 10, 2008, at 8:55 a.m.

Police on Sunday morning, October 12th, said the sightings have not been concentrated to one specific area and there have been multiple sightings of clowns across the city, according to a Harrison Area Special Victims Unit detective.

One suspect was seen on foot in the Garfield Park neighborhood and near Beidler Elementary School, 3151 W. Walnut St., and Polaris Charter Academy, 620 N. Sawyer Avenue.

Dressed in a multi-colored clown suit with a mask or white face paint, a red nose and a teardrop on his cheek, the man escaped in a van after the failed attempts.

Police elaborated that there have been multiple sightings of clowns across the city, including one sighting in Wicker Park, but there has been no hard evidence leading to a suspect. No arrests have been made.

(Thanks to Christopher Balzano and Richard D. Hendricks for their news tips on the developing Chicago story.)
I find it interesting that two of the incidents occurred at exactly 5 minutes before the top of the hour,anyone have any insight into that?

"IT's" probably where Stephen King got his idea for IT

reply to post by zeroeffect


I've never heard of this before, but I must say, that's about as creepy as it gets.

No wonder so many people have an innate fear of clowns.

reply to post by zeroeffect


Hi, zeroeffect.

I became interested in these clown stories from reading Jeff Wells' treatment of it over at Rigorous Intuition. I assume you also know about the finders? Try to check it out if you do not because you will dig that too. If you have trouble finding it let me know and I will link you.

So the last thing of this kind was in 2008? That definitely adds another chapter to the lore.

Thanks for posting it.

reply to post by Whateva69


Keep in mind this is NOT based on his fiction it is ACTUAL incidents...

reply to post by zeroeffect


The encounters began in May of 1981,,,and that is why kids today HATE clownss,,

poor Clown trade,,,died after that,,

all became,,, Mimes

i hear,,,

reply to post by Frater210

Can you send me a link to his site?,and what to you make of the incidents taking place exactly at 5 minutes on the hour?

reply to post by zeroeffect


Yes I know that, most fiction originates from fact. And I did say IDEA.
Kings novel was released in 1986. The actual real events posted, started in 1981.
Kids and clowns… fact or fiction, it’s still creepy

I wonder if the clown is or was a clown performer.
I read ages ago that clowns use their face makeup like a fingerprint, each one is in different.
And the report says this clown had a tear drop on his cheek.

reply to post by Whateva69

Just clarifying that my post is not based on fiction..

reply to post by Whateva69


I've heard that too, Its easy to extrapolate the vans were stolen due to the report of smashed in windows being spotted, but i find it interesting that it is only white or brown vans being stolen. Similar other patterns are reported which is predominate in serial killers or the paranormal..

reply to post by zeroeffect

Just clarifying that my post is not based on fiction..

No way. This is real and really weird stuff. It had its counterpart in England in the form of "Phantom Social Workers" at about the same time.

This is definitely good stuff.

reply to post by Frater210


I've not heard of Phantom social workers,can you share a bit more on that?

For those interested...

Here's the Jeff Wells article:
rigorousintuition.blogspot.com...

Finders:
www.whale.to...

Creepy stuff. I remember being a kid and getting warnings about clowns in vans, in Wyoming, about 1983-87.

reply to post by zeroeffect


Earthscum has linked the info...

reply to post by Earthscum


Fantastic link, I am convinced this is supernatural in principal,a lot of malevolent entities always operate in patterns or repetitious behavior. For instance two incidents occurring at 8:55am and another incident again at :55 to the hour...

reply to post by zeroeffect


Personally I think that it was, and apparently still is, a psy-op designed to cause the manufacture of consent.

There are real, organized predators out there that take children and do bad things to them and they would love for us all to believe that they wear clown outfits and make-up, carry balloons to lure children and drive scurfy vans.

That's my take on it. Social engineering.

I don't know how to take the 5 minutes to the hour thing. I guess I would have to say that the Clown is OCD. I suppose someone might find some numerological significance.

reply to post by Frater210


Studies show that Predators do not work well together and even nature shows us that natural predators with the exception of Dinos do not hunt together. So what makes you certain that it is a group of organized predators?

reply to post by zeroeffect


yeah, it's possible that it is one guy. But not in my opinion. Did you read the 'finders' stuff yet. read that and I will link you to even better stuff.

Who knows? Maybe 2008 is one dude. But it does seem to follow the pattern of terrifying people and not really doing any damage; I mean the stories are dead on. To me it's, like, 'Operation: Crazy Clown', or something.

reply to post by Frater210


What would be the purpose of running a military psy-op for over 20+ years?