538. OHIO'S VAMPIRES: The Blood Legends of the Buckeye State

Please hit subscribe and share the show.

Click here to go to our Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/222paranormal

Click here to see Jennifer's Book. Grief in Your Back Pocket

https://a.co/d/01LOwxti

Click here to see Joe's book.

https://a.co/d/0gregCQm

When most people hear the word *vampire*, they think of Dracula, ancient castles, Transylvania, and dark European legends. But what if some of the strangest vampire stories in America can be found much closer to home?

In this episode of the **222 Paranormal Podcast**, Joe and Jennifer Shortridge travel across Ohio in search of the state's mysterious vampire legends, strange newspaper accounts, disturbing historical stories, and folklore surrounding blood-drinking spirits and the restless dead.

Our journey begins in **Scioto County, Ohio**, with one of the most fascinating historical stories in the episode: the **Salladay family**. In the early 1800s, multiple members of the family died from what was then called consumption, now known as tuberculosis. As the deaths continued, surviving family members reportedly began to believe that something about one of their deceased relatives was responsible for the sickness. The grave was eventually opened, and a disturbing ritual was performed in an attempt to stop the deaths. Organs were removed from the body and burned. Was this an example of early American vampire folklore, or was a desperate family trying to understand a disease they couldn't explain?

Then Joe and Jennifer travel to **Van Wert**, where an old newspaper account tells of a frightening encounter involving a strange figure associated with a cemetery. The story contains elements remarkably similar to traditional European vampire folklore, including a mysterious creature connected to the dead.

The episode also takes us to **Columbus and the Ohio Penitentiary**, where we examine the bizarre story of **James Brown**, a real 19th-century prisoner who later became associated with the nickname "The Ohio Vampire." Historical accounts describe disturbing allegations involving blood and the deaths of sailors. But how much of the vampire story is actually supported by history, and how much developed through later retellings?