Unexplainable Episode 173
The Severed Feet of Blacksand Beach → unexplained phenomena
Warning: This episode contains discussion and descriptions of the process of decomposition, mutilation, violence, and suicide. Listener discretion is advised.
Sand, sun, and crystal clear waters are generally what people think of and what they expect when they go to the beach. However, the island that we inhabit isn’t like many other places in the world and Blacksand Beach isn’t like any other beaches in the world. Aside from being the main port and known for being the hub for pirates, Blacksand Beach has also, in recent years, begun to experience a strange phenomenon of severed feet being found along its shores. Since 2001, over two dozen feet still inside their shoes have been discovered along the beach by unsuspecting beachgoers.
Today, we will be discussing the strange phenomenon that has been ongoing over the last twenty-three years and where these feet may be coming from and why. I’m Elisa Salaliphus and this is Unexplainable.
*cue introductory music*
The Phenomena
It’s the summer of 2019 and Sean and Jenna were enjoying their usual walk along the beach. It is not unusual to find treasures or trash floating in the many tide pools that dot either end of Blacksand Beach. Yet, when Sean found a hiking boot floating in one, he never thought that when he poked it with a stick, he would be met with the gruesome realization that there was still a foot inside the boot. This would mark the twenty-fourth shoe with a foot still inside that would be found along Blacksand Beach since the unusual phenomena first started nearly twenty years prior.
Since 2001, just about one foot a year has been found washed up from the sea. The feet are almost always relatively intact with muscle and skin still attached and are always severed at the ankle. Both left and right feet have been found as well as a seeming variety of victims ranging from varying species and varying races and potentially varying ages. Only just about half of the feet have been identified and are often connected to missing people from all around the island.
However, the real mystery is where are these feet coming from? Why have feet suddenly begun to litter the shores of Blacksand Beach at the turn of the century and continue to this very day with the most recent discovery being in November of 2023. And most importantly, why feet? There are several theories that have been proposed over the years about what could be happening and why.
What makes it so difficult to pinpoint a particular cause or reason is that none of the rest of the bodies of any of the victims has been successfully recovered. Autopsies are unable to be performed without the rest of the bodies and most medical examiners seem to agree that the feet are not being severed but rather due to decomposition, the feet naturally break away from the rest of the body, with the foot being preserved in their respective shoes, shielded away from the elements as well as any scavenging fish.
It also makes it difficult to pinpoint a precise time of death as varying other factors cannot be taken into consideration to determine just how long these feet have been separated from their owners. And to that end, many of the feet that have yet to be identified, their owners may still be alive. People do not need their feet to remain alive, after all. Additionally, only one foot has ever been found from one individual. The feet never wash up in pairs and two feet from the same person have never been discovered.
The Theories
The first theory is there are one or several serial killers that are operating on the island, dismembering their victims and only the feet are washing up on the shore. As already mentioned, it is thought that the feet are being somewhat preserved within their shoes and so while the rest of the body decomposes more naturally and thoroughly, the feet are staying mostly intact until they are found.
Researchers who study the natural patterns and movement of the water, also think that if a killer or killers are disposing of bodies, the dumping site is thought to originate in Wailing Waters. The natural ocean currents then bring the feet down south and around the island where they eventually land on Blacksand Beach. The problem with this theory is that it is impossible to prove until a body or several bodies are discovered that match the feet. There is no way to know if these people are even dead and whether it was due to foul play or natural causes.
An offshoot of this theory is that these deaths are specifically victims of sirens. As mentioned, it is thought that many of these feet are being washed over from Wailing Waters, which is well known to be siren territory. Many believe these are victims not of land dwelling killers but rather sea dwelling monsters. Once again, this theory is one that may be impossible to confirm without bodies to confirm cause of death.
This third one, once again, belongs in the same category as the other prior theories in that many people seem to think these are gang killings. Many gangs are known to have very specific Modus Operandis that identify them as being taken care of by a specific gang. fter all, who among us hasn’t heard of the Columbian necktie, a hugely famous tactic that was used to scare and ward away potential enemies or rivals.
In a similar fashion, the feet could be a sign that part of the MO is these severed feet that are being thrown into the oceans while the rest of the body is being disposed of elsewhere. Many say this is the most likely possibility as it fits the most neatly out of all the potential scenarios where these are due to murder.
And yet, that is operating under the assumption that this is because of murder or some sort of foul play. Many experts believe that the sad reality is these are accidental deaths or suicides. People who have gone for a walk or a run along the cliffs that dot the island, have slips or falls that cause them to tumblr into the ocean. And yet others might do it as a purposeful act, never to be seen again once they leap off the edge, the only sign they were ever once around are their feet that eventually make it onto Blacksand Beach.
The evidence of these accidental deaths lies in the disarticulation of the foot from the body. As mentioned, the one thing the medical examiners believe is that these feet are not being severed and removed from the bodies with a saw or knife, but rather due to natural decomposition. Of course, many opponents of this theory will say that the ocean has simply become a dumping ground.
Wrap-Up
The reality is, we will likely never know which theory is correct or if it is a combination of all of the above. We may never know, without bodies, what happened to these people. By now, any bodies that may have been nearby would surely have completely decomposed, lost to mother nature and to the sea, nothing but bones that can only provide so much information now.
found myself missing you lot tremendously today 😭😭 i'm drowning in exams until september but i so wish i could come back, you guys were always a joy to write with ♥️♥️
ALSO WHOEVER USING GIOVANA CORDEIRO AS A MUSE ILY ANS HER BOTH!!!
Warning: This episode contains discussion and descriptions of violence against both werewolves and humans. Listener discretion is advised.
Gang wars and territory disputes aren’t exactly uncommon on the island, particularly in areas where close knit groups can clash such as Bloodhearth or Carynthia. However, those battles between groups are often smoothed over with agreements between gangs. Bosses will agree that parts of the city are off limits, but other prosperous areas of business are free game. Organized crime, as the name implies, will often have their own rules and laws they operate by, with the consequences resulting in torture and death. That seems to be the case for a pair of werewolf hunters, the Donyis, found murdered in their own home. Still unsolved, is it as simple as a dispute between werewolf hunters and their kills or is it something more sinister? I’m Elisa Salaliphus and this will be a look into the deaths of the Donyis.
*cue introductory music*
The Victims
Not much is known about the Donyis and their early lives. However, as humans, they seemed to be unremarkable. Natives of the island, the two seemed to have met and married as a young couple. They never had children, but were part of a community of hunters. They were your typical hunters, hunting wild game. For the Donyis it was a hobby they did together.
It is unclear when, but it is thought when they were in their late thirties and early forties, they grew bored of their usual routine. The Donyis were wanting a challenge and that is when they turned to hunting werewolves for profit. Not only did it create a new challenge for them, but they were good at it and it earned them a nice profit.
It is also unclear whether or not the Donyis were part of a larger organization of werewolf hunters or if they operated alone. At the very least what we do know is that they hunted and prepared the werewolf pelts, but did not distribute it themselves. Instead, they sold it to a third party for larger distribution.
The Donyis weren’t just known werewolf hunters but would often head up smear campaigns of known wolves. The most notable was that of Elba San Luis whose own case would be worthy of its own episode, but who did suffer vicious abuse that was spearheaded by the Donyis.
The Crime
The assault and eventual deaths of the Donyis is still under investigation and presents a unique challenge. It is a case that has so much evidence that points in so many directions that it is almost incredible that it remains unsolved. It is a case, however, that the authorities maintain is still solvable given additional time to investigate. It is also a crime that has details that have been withheld due to still being an investigation still.
It was the day of July 7, 2022, almost two years prior. It was a particularly hot day as the summer that year had been brutal. It was just after midday and we do know for a fact that a man and a woman approached the Donyis’ property. The Donyis had several cameras around the outside of their home. The quality was poor and is the sort of camera that captured images every few seconds instead of filming a video.
The man and woman captured never show their faces to the camera, and it is thought that they potentially knew the cameras were scattered around the property. There is no attempt by either to disguise their identities either, though it cannot be confirmed either that they weren’t already wearing disguises of some sort. They do appear to have dark hair and both appear to be around the same height which is thought to be between 5’6” to 6’.
Those are the facts that are known so far with any sort of conclusive nature. Moving forward, everything else was gleaned from the investigation. However, once the man and woman entered the home, it is believed that the Donyis were immediately assaulted. Mr. Donyi was found with his hand pinned to a coffee table inside his home, a knife still through his palm. Mrs. Donyi was found to have been knocked out, her windpipe bruised. What is interesting about the case is that both Donyis were thought to have been left alive, but both perished due to natural causes. It also creates a very interesting case of whether the perpetrators in question would be charged with assault or murder.
The last piece of evidence of the case is that all the werewolf pelts on the property were taken. It is unknown if the motive of the crime was to commit this theft or if it was an afterthought once the Donyis had been overpowered. Nonetheless, the pelts have never been recovered. It is unknown if they were sold on the market, kept by the couple or given or away or even destroyed.
The Theories
This case is interesting because it is known that the main suspects are a man and a woman. What is unknown are their identities and potential affiliation. It is also unknown what species they were. There was no conclusive evidence to identify them at the crime scene. All the blood tested belonged to the Donyis and the only evidence of any other species was that of a werewolf which would be impossible to determine if it came from someone they hunted or if the perpetrators were werewolves themselves.
This brings us to our first theory that the two were werewolves. It is not a secret that werewolves would have a huge motive to terrorize and taunt those who are known to murder them in cold blood in order to profit off their skin and fur. However, many dismiss this theory as many do not believe werewolves would have left the house with the Donyis alive. It is believed that if werewolves were behind the crime, the scene would have been left bloody and the Donyis would have experienced far more violence. Though, it cannot definitively be dismissed.
The second theory is that some organized crime group was behind it. It is known that the Donyis did not distribute their own product, instead selling their pelts to others to distribute. It is thought the distributors would have most likely been organized crime mafias or gangs that may have had a deal with the Donyis where they would sell and distribute the pelts and each would receive an agreed upon percentage of the profits. However, once again, this theory is dismissed due to the arguable disorganized nature of the assault as well as the fact that the Donyis were left alive. Many believe that organized crime would have not left such a messy crime scene. Gang and mafia crimes tend to be professionally done by hitmen and assassins that know how to leave as little evidence behind. I can confirm that this is the case with almost every major crime group in the city. There is a reason it is so hard to prosecute mafia related crimes.
The third and most widely believed theory is that the man and woman were fellow and rival werewolf hunters. As mentioned at the top, it is not unheard of for there to be disputes between groups due to territorial issues.
One of the biggest reasons authorities believe this to be is because there was no forced entry. Officials believed the Donyis would not have opened the door unless they knew their visitors in some manner and also doubt they would have opened to any werewolves without being prepared to handle a potentially violent encounter. It is believed the Donyis recognized their rivals, or they may have been friends or acquaintances, and let them in. The motive is believed to also line up as the wolf pelts were stolen and most likely distributed on some sort of black market.
Even knowing this, it doesn’t answer the question of who. There were potentially hundreds of independent werewolf hunters and many more who are unknown. However, two of the biggest hunters known to the community are Ramon and Carmen Grimaldi. Many who have thoroughly looked into the case point to this couple as the primary perpetrators. They are known to be particularly cruel and sadistic and while this may be the description werewolves use to describe them, many seem to think it fits the nature and manner of the crime.
The Grimaldis may have simply been tired of competition and decided to eliminate some of their rivals and in doing so, did it in the cruelest way possible. Many online also speculate that this may have had something to do with the child the Grimaldis were known to have lost in mysterious circumstances. Not much is known about their lost child, but while many theories point to werewolves being the ones who murdered their son, others believe that perhaps the Donyis had something to do with it and the Grimaldis simply decided to retaliate. However, that is another rabbit hole for another episode altogether.
Wrap-Up
With the approaching anniversary of this crime, many still have hope that it will be solved. However, that doesn’t mean many believe the perpetrators should be charged, particularly the werewolf community. The Donyis were known to be cruel and ruthless and very few people actually feel any remorse for their deaths. The case not only presents many unique challenges in having so much evidence and yet very little answers, but also the moral dilemma of: is murder ever justified if it's seemingly warranted? Many might answer no, but with enough context and the right victim at the center, others may not be so quick to extend their sympathies as the Donyis have proven.
