In 1928, under the malicious advice of a local woman named Nellie Noll, John Blymire believed that he had been cursed by Nelson Rehmeyer. Blymire and his accomplices broke into Rehmeyer's home to find his copy of the braucherei 'spell book' known as the Long Lost Friend. Blymire and his fellow conspirators, John Curry and Wilbert Hess, were unable to find the book, but did find Rehmeyer himself, whom they killed and mutilated in hopes that this would lift the curse. The three men charged with the crime also set fire to the house, hoping to remove remnants of the curse, as well as to destroy evidence of their murder. However, the house did not burn down as they had hoped. This led to many people further believing that Rehmeyer was a witch and that his power prevented the destruction of the house. The resulting trial drew substantial media attention. Submit your stories: [email protected]