March 3, 2025

Terrifying & True | The Melonheads Curse – Ohio’s Most Terrifying Urban Legend

Terrifying & True | The Melonheads Curse – Ohio’s Most Terrifying Urban Legend

Are the Melonheads real or just another terrifying folk tale? In this episode, we explore the sinister legend of Kirtland, Ohio’s deformed forest dwellers, the mysterious Dr. Crow, and the chilling encounters that still haunt locals to this day.

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👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
WEBVTT

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It's a tale as old as time itself. The woods

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are beautiful until night falls, until you're not sure what's

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out there lurking in the woods. But what if what's

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waiting for you is smaller in stature, children abused and

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left for dead who've decided to find their own way

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into legend. What you were about to be is burd

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to be you. Based on witness accounts, testimonies, and public record,

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this is terrifying. And when it comes to stories about

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Ohio in particular, I've always been fast fascinated by the

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idea of the melon heads, especially considering they're talked about

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in Ohio and Michigan but also Connecticut, a strange combination.

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Michigan and Ohio share lots of folklore in common, but

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not so much Connecticut. But there's a lot to this story,

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to its origins and to how likely it is to

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be true. And we're going to take a look at

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that and see if we can't shine a light on

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some of these shadows. So make sure you're subscribed on

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your favorite podcasting app and get cozy, because when we return,

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we're diving deep into the melon heads in the dense

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forests of Kirtland Ohio, Whispers of strange creatures with grotesquely

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swollen heads have haunted locals for generations. These beings, known

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as the melon Heads, are said to emerge under the

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cover of night, chasing those who wander too far into

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the woods, and lurking by the roadside to strike fear

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into unsuspecting motorists. Their distorted, childlike forms have become the

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stuff of nightmares, though no photographs or physical evidence have

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ever confirmed their existence. The legend's roots trace back to

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a mysterious figure named doctor Crowe, a man whose name

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carries both sympathy and terror. Some say he was a

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kind hearted physician who sheltered children suffering from a rare

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medical condition, shielding them from a cruel wars. Others believe

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he was a twisted scientist who performed gruesome experiments, turning

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innocent lives into deformed creatures. When his house burned to

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the ground, the children vanished into the forest, where they

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are believed to remain to this day, watching waiting. The

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tales have endured, passed down through hushed voices and chilling

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online accounts, Yet despite the lack of proof the fear

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is real. Are these stories merely the product of overactive imaginations,

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or could some something far more disturbing be hiding in

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the shadows of Kirtland's woods. In American folklore of Ohio, Michigan,

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and Connecticut, the melonheads are described as small, a humanoid

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beings with unusually large, bulbous heads. These mysterious figures are

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said to dwell in secluded areas, emerging from their hidden

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places to attack unsuspecting individuals. Their presence has become a

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source of fear and intrigue for those familiar with the legend.

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While the details of their appearance and behavior vary across

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different versions of the story, the image of these creatures

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with their oversized heads remains a common thread in the

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accounts shared across these three states. Reports from those who

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claim to have encountered the melon Heads often describe unsettling experiences.

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Witnesses speak of children like figures with grotesquely swollen heads

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seen darting through the forest at night. Some tell of

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being chased by these beings, while others recount seeing them

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suddenly appear beside remote roads, startling motorists as they pass

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through the dark wooded areas. The fear instilled by these

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sightings lingers long after the encounters, leaving those affected with

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questions about what they truly witnessed in the shadows. Despite

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the numerous tales that have circulated over the years, no

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concrete evidence has ever been produced to confirm the existence

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of the melon heads. There are no photographs, no videos,

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no physical proof to validate the claims made by witnesses,

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Yet the legend endures, fueled by the stories passed down

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through generations. The absence of evidence has not deterred believers,

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rather added to the mystery, with some convinced that the

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beings are simply too elusive to be captured by modern technology.

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One explanation that has been suggested is the belief in

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what some call the melon Head's curse. According to this belief,

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the being's existence is tied to a supernatural or malevolent

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force that shields them from detection. This curse is thought

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to be the reason behind the lack of tangible proof

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and the frightening experience is reported by those who cross

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paths with the melon heads. The idea of a curse

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further amplifies the fear and uncertainty surrounding the legend, may

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make it something more than just unusual. People hiding in

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the woods. However, the true origins of the melon Heads

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remain unclear, as different versions of the legend offer conflicting accounts.

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Some stories suggest they were once human children who were

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subjected to cruel experiments, leading to their grotesque appearance. Others

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claimed they were abandoned and left to fend for themselves

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in the wilderness, their deformities resulting from years of inbreeding

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and isolation. Each version contributes to the legend's complexity, making

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it difficult to separate fact from fiction. So who are

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the melon Heads really? Did they ever truly exist? These

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questions continue to haunt those drawn to the eerie tales

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from Ohio, Michigan, and Connecticut. While skeptics dismiss the stories

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as mere folklore, others remain convinced that something sinister lurks

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in the depths of those dark forests. Whether real or imagined,

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the Melonheads have carved a permanent place in the legends

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of these regions. There are multiple versions of the story

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surrounding the Melonheads, but many of them center around a

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figure known as doctor Crowe. In some tellings, his name

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appears as Crow Crowe or Krhe or Kroh or sometimes

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he's referred to as doctor Melonhead. The legend is indeed

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particularly associated with Kirtland, a small town in Lake County, Ohio,

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home to approximately ten thousand residents. Mister Crowe's role in

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the story varies depending on the version. Some portray him

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as a benevolent caregiver, while others depict him as a

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more sinister figure. Regardless of his nature, his connection to

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the Melonheads remains at the heart of the Ohio folk tale.

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According to one account, doctor Crowe was commissioned by the

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federal government shortly after World War II to care for

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children afflicted with hydrosophalis, a rare medical condition that causes

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the accumulation of fluid in the brain, resulting in abnormally

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large heads. These children, suffering from both physical deformities and

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social rejection, were placed under Crowe's care. The story goes,

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he operated a small institution on his property, hidden deep

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in the woods, where he not only provided medical treatment,

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but also offered them a home away from the cruelty

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of the outside world. In this particular version, doctor Crowe

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is seen as a compassionate figure. He took in the

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children who had been cast as decide by society, and

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treated them with kindness. The government is said to have

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discreetly delivered these children to him under the cover of night,

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trusting that he would give them the care they so

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desperately needed. Crow dedicated his life to their well being,

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working tirelessly to improve their quality of life while seeking

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a cure or treatment for their condition. Isolated from the community,

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the children relied solely on Crow for support. He studied

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their condition with the hope of discovering a medical breakthrough

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that might one day reverse their suffering. His work was

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driven by a genuine desire to help those whom society

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had abandoned. However, tragedy ultimately struck. Crow died of natural

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causes before he could find the cure he had worked

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so diligently to uncover. Without their protector and caregiver, the

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children were left to fend for themselves. In some versions

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of the tale, his death coincided with a catastrophic fire

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that engulfed his home. The blaze consumed the house and

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claimed the life of doctor Crow, leaving the children both

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orphaned and homeless. With no one left to care for them.

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They scattered into the dense forests surrounding Kirtland, Stripped of

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their shelter and isolated from society, they are said to

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have adapted to life in the woods, surviving as best

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they could. Their haunting appearance and fearful existence in the

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wilderness became the foundation of the melon Had legend. In

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the more widely known and disturbing versions of the Melonhead story,

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doctor Crowe is not remembered as a kind hearted physician,

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but rather as a malevolent figure whose dark experiments left

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a permanent stain on the forests around Kirtland. This version

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strips away any sense of compassion and replaces it with horror.

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Crow is depicted as a ruthless scientist who treated the

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children not as patients in need of help, but as

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subjects for his twisted medical experiments. His home, hidden deep

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within the woods, is described as less of a sanctuary

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and more of a secret laboratory where unspeakable acts took place.

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In this telling, Crow's methods were cruel and unnatural. He

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said to have acquired children through various means. Some accounts

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claim he was supplied by the government under the guise

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of medical research, while others suggest he kidnapped or purchased

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them in secret. Once under his control, the children were

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subjected to horrific procedures that altered their appearance and left

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them permanently disfigured. The most notorious claim is that Crow

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injected their heads with water, causing their skulls to swell

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to unnatural proportions. Over time, their heads grew grotesquely large

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and smooth, while their bodies became weak and misshapen. While

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some versions agree that the children initially suffered from hydrocephalus,

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a condition that causes fluid build up in the brain,

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Crow's actions only worsened their condition. He's rumored to have

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deliberately increased the mount of fluid in their heads, stretching

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their skulls even further beyond all natural limits. The experiments

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left the children in agony, their bodies deteriorating under the

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weight of their swollen heads. The result was a group

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of grotesque, hairless beings who bore little resemblance to ordinary children,

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beings who would later become known as the melon heads.

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The torment and abuse at Crow's hands eventually led to

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a violent turning point. Overwhelmed by years of pain and suffering,

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the children are said to have risen up against their

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tormentor they attacked Crow in a final act of desperation

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and revenge, bringing an end to his cruel reign. After

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killing him, they set fire to his home, as well

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as the makeshift institution that had them for so long.

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The flames consumed everything the building, Crow's body, and any

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physical evidence of the horrific experiments that had taken place

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within those walls. With their captor dead and their prison destroyed,

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the children fled into the surrounding forests, seeking refuge among

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the trees. Though free, they were permanently scarred, both physically

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and emotionally. Unable to reintegrate into society because of their

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horrifying appearance and lack of socialization, they became reclusive and feral.

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Over time, they adapted to life in the wilderness, learning

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to survive away from human eyes. The isolation only fuelled

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their legend, as their rare sightings by locals so sparked

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fear and speculation about what truly lurked in the woods.

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To this day, the area around Kirtland, particularly along Wisner

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Road and into neighboring Chardon Township, is said to be

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haunted by the presence of the melonheads. Those who travel

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the dark wooded paths at night have reported brief, terrifying

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glimpses of small, malformed figures with bulbous heads darting between trees.

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Some stories even suggest that the melonheads turned to cannibalism,

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with chilling claims that they prey on stray animals or

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more disturbingly, human infants. Whether fact or folklore, the tale

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of Doctor Crowe and the Melonheads remains one of Ohio's

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most enduring and unsettling legends. As the legend persisted over time,

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it evolved into a tale not only of survival, but

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of an unnatural lineage hidden within the forests near Kirtland.

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Those who escaped the burning orphanage were said to have

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adapted to their harsh environment, finding ways to endure despite

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their deformities. As the years turned into decades, these survivors

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allegedly gave birth to children of their own. These offspring

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inherited the same grotesque physical abnormalities, enlarged bulbous heads and

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frail bodies, as well as the mental scars afflicted upon

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their parents. This new generation grew up secluded from society,

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knowing only the shadows of the forest and the stories

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passed down regarding the cruelty of the outside world. With

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their isolation came a growing reset toward humans. The melonheads

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were believed to view outsiders as threats to their very existence,

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fostering a deep hatred for anyone who dared to enter

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their territory. Local tales described eerie encounters with these beings,

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sightings of small, misshapen figures lurking at the edges of roads,

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peering out from behind trees, or chasing travelers through the darkness.

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Whispers circulated about attacks on those who wandered too far

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into the woods, with some disappearing without a trace. There

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were even accounts suggesting the melonheads had resorted to stealing livestock, pets, and,

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in the most disturbing stories, children taking them back to

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their hidden dens for food. Another variation of the legend

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added an emotional twist to the story of doctor c Crow.

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In this version, the doctor was not entirely alone. He

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was married to a kind hearted woman, a woman who

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treated the children with gentleness and compassion. She became a

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mother figure to them, offering comfort in an otherwise cold

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and brutal environment. Her presence was said to be the

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only source of warmth in their lives. However, one fateful night,

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a violent argument erupted between Crow and his wife. In

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the struggle, she fell and hid her head on a cabinet,

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resulting in her death. Whether it was an accident or

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something more sinister remains unclear, but the children believed Crow

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was responsible. Grief turned to fury as the children, devastated

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by the loss of the only person who had cared

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for them, turn on Crow. Overwhelmed by their rage, they

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attacked him with a viciousness that matched the pain he

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had inflicted upon them over the years. Once Crow lay dead,

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the children set his house and institution ablaze. The fire

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consumed everything the building, their captor's bodies, and any traces

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of the horrors that unfolded behind its walls. With their

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home destroyed and their caretaker gone as well as their abuser,

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the children retreated into the dense forest, where they would

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remain hidden from the outside world. Though the story of

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the Melonheads began as a local tale whispered among residents,

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it gained wider recognition with the ride of the Internet.

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Websites like Creepy Cleveland and Dead Ohio became hubs for

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those intrigued by the legend. People shared personal experiences, alleged sightings,

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and theories about what really happened in the woods of Kirtland.

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Each account seemed to add new details, further blurring the

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line between fact and fiction. The legend's eerie appeal also

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caught the attention of filmmakers. In twenty ten, the movie

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Legend of the Melonheads was released, drawing inspiration from the

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Ohio Tales and other folklore from the area. The story

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continued to weave itself into horror culture. In twenty eighteen,

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the anthology film The Field Guide to Evil featured a

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chilling segment inspired by the Melonheads, telling the tale of

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a boy who was taken into the woods and transformed

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into one of the grotesque beings. More recently, in two

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thousand and twenty four, the film The Melonhead's House of

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Crow revisited the dark legend, further solidifying its place in

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urban folklore. Despite the growing popularity of these stories, historians

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and researchers have found no credible evidence to support the

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existence of Doctor Crowe, his institution, or the Melonheads. No

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records of such a facility or any missing children matched

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the details of the tale. To this day, the legend

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remains just that, a haunting story passed down through generations,

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keeping the woods of Kirtland obscured by more questions than answers.

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In the end, the Melonheads remain shrouded in mystery, its

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roots tangled somewhere between folklore and fear. While Doctor Crowe

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and his alleged experiments were never proven to have existed,

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the stories of deformed children lurking in the forests near Kirtland,

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Ohio have persisted for generations. The fear they inspire has

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extended beyond the local communities, captivating horror enthusiasts and fuelling

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Internet folklore. Yet for those who claim to have seen

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the melon heads, the terror is all too real, leaving

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them to wonder what truly hides in the shadows, whether

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the tale is fact, fiction, or something in between. It

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leaves an unsettling question how much of what we fear

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is imagined, and how much of that fear, covered by shadow,

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masked by the sound of wind cutting through the trees,

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might just be waiting for us, just beyond our field

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of view. Terrifying and True is narrated by Enrique Kuta,

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its executive produced by Rob Fields, Mark Shields and Bobletopia

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dot com. It's produced by Dan Wilder with original music

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by Ray Mattis. If you have a story you'd like

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us to cover, send us an email at Weekly Spooky

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at gmail dot com. And if you want to support

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us directly for as little as one dollar a month,

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simply go to Weeklyspooky dot com and click on Patreon.

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Your support helps us keep the podcast going and growing,

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and speaking of I want to say an extra special

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thank you to our Patreon podcast boosters, folks who pay

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us a little bit more to hear their name at

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the end of the show. And they are Jessica Fuller,

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Johnny Nicks, Jenny Green, Amber Hansford, Brent McCullough, and we

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met Jack Kerr and Craig Cohen. Thank you all so much,

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and thank you all for listening. We'll see you right

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here next time on Terrifying and True on Weekly Spooky