10 Chilling Stories Of People Who Were Buried Alive

9. Jenkins

Buried Ryan Reynolds
The New York Times

In February 1885, The New York Times published a disturbing story about a man known simply as Jenkins.

He had reportedly been ill for several weeks, and eventually became speechless, with cold, clammy skin and no readily apparent signs of life. Because of this, he was presumed dead, and the very next day, he was buried inside a coffin.

Those involved with burying Jenkins had mentioned that his limbs felt unusually loose for a dead man, and it was the opinion of many locals that he had accidentally been buried alive.

Shortly after, Jenkins was to be moved to the family burial ground, so it was suggested that the coffin be opened so the condition of the corpse could be checked (if it was in a bad state, it'd have to be placed in a metal casket for the 20-mile journey).

And to the shock of everyone present, Jenkins was found lying face-down. His hair had been pulled from his head in large amounts, and there were fingernail scratches all around the inside of the coffin.

He had tried to claw his way out of the dark wooden box.

Contributor
Contributor

WhoCulture Channel Manager/Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture. Can confirm that bow ties are cool.