WELCOME TO ISSUE 17 of isle of wéired news – bringing you the weirdest news from around the world.
In this issue: another possible sighting of Nessie; Fort Lauderdale police confirm they are working with a psychic; a statue of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina sheds a tear of blood; bishop jailed for murder of woman during “exorcism”; Havana Syndrome victims receive payout; and in old news, four men are caught performing a “black magic rite” in a church in England in 1963.
Enjoy!
Another Nessie Sighting?
It appears that fears of Nessie’s demise may have been unfounded (see issue 15).
On 23 June, Sharon Herbert, who was on a boat cruise of Loch Ness with Jacobite Cruises, took a photo of a mysterious green mass that was lurking just beneath the surface of the loch.
She captured the image near Urquhart Castle, a known haunt of Nessie’s.
Sharon’s photo has been uploaded to the official Loch Ness monster sightings register, along with the following statement: ‘Sharon Herbert, visiting from Kent, took a picture of an unknown object close to the Jacobite cruise boat at 10.27am as it came to shore at Urquhart Castle.
‘Jacobite Cruises have confirmed that their skipper says there is no explanation that they can offer as to what the green mass is.’
Source(s): Metro, 16 July 2026
Fort Lauderdale Police Working with Psychic
A police spokesperson in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has confirmed that Fort Lauderdale Police Department have brought in a psychic to help them investigate the disappearance of Sophie Reeder.
Sophie disappeared in 2017 when she was 15 years old. At the time, she was living with her father on Citrus Lane, in southwest Fort Lauderdale.
Sophie was last seen on CCTV late on 19 May 2017, walking along Dante Boulevard. Later, her phone pinged at the apartment of a known criminal.
Fort Lauderdale – Photo by Daniel Halseth//Unsplash
According to reports, Sophie was feeling lonely and depressed at the time of her disappearance. She’d also been communicating online about working in the sex industry, leading police to believe she may have been trafficked for sex.
Curiously, the date Sophie disappeared had been circled on the calendar in her bedroom.
There have been no sightings of Sophie since. And there have been no arrests.
Casey Liening, a spokesperson for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, said that the investigative team had recently met with psychic Alejandra Taborn and were currently assessing the information she had provided.
Liening also revealed that this was not the first time that Fort Lauderdale police had consulted a psychic during this investigation – but she declined to provide further details.
Sophie’s family say they are open to the use of a psychic. Her aunt, Kirsten Milhorn, said: “If someone, psychic or otherwise, truly believes they have information to help us locate her, we are willing to listen.”
Source(s): Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
A Tear-Stained Statue of Saint Pio
In 1918, the wounds associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ appeared on the body of Padre Pio*, an Italian priest and Capuchin friar. The wounds remained until his death in 1968. Padre Pio would lose a cup of blood a day from these wounds.
In 2026, at the parish of Santa Maria Delle Grazie, in the small Italian town of Casalba, what appears to be a blood-like tear has appeared below the left eye of a statue of Padre Pio.
The tear was first noticed by a parishioner in April. When the parish priest, Father Girolamo Capuano, was made aware of the discovery, he attempted to remove the stain – but without success.
The statue, which has stood at the entrance of the church for over 20 years, has been removed for examination.
According to Father Capuano, security camera footage has found no evidence of the statue having been tampered with.
“What convinces me the most is that we have a camera monitoring the statue day and night for more than 10 years,” he said. “I have personally reviewed all the footage from April 1st to the 30th. The tear appeared on the 18th, or at least that was when we saw it. No one approached the statue, either by day or by night, to do anything to it. That reinforces my personal conviction and my faith in Padre Pio.”
Father Capuano added: “… the path of the tear is so perfect that not even a painter like Michelangelo could reproduce something like it.”
Father Capuano strongly believes that the weeping statue is a “sign from Heaven” – a genuine miracle.
However, the miraculous nature of the phenomenon will be decided in accordance with the Vatican’s Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena.
Under these norms, the bishop of the diocese will lead the preliminary investigation, then submit his findings to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF).
The DDF will then assess the material submitted by the bishop.
Until the DDF issues its judgement, the bishop “will refrain from any public declaration regarding the authenticity or supernaturally of these phenomena.”
*Padre Pio was canonized in 2002, and his official title is Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. However, most Catholics still refer to him as Padre Pio.
Source(s): Il Mattino, 19 May 2026; EWTN, 25 June 2026
Bishop Jailed for “Exorcism Ritual” Murder
In Zimbabwe, Christen Gomore, a bishop in the Damasko Zion Christian Church, has been found guilty of culpable homicide following the death of a woman he had beaten and whipped during an “exorcism ritual.”
On 6 March 2023, the woman and her husband travelled to a shrine in Beitbridge “seeking prayers.”
At the shrine they had a disagreement with a pastor, who then accused the couple of being mentally ill. They were shackled with chains and tied to a tree – where they were left overnight.
The next morning, they were taken to the Limpopo River for baptism – and what has been described as an “exorcism ritual.”
When they returned to the shrine, Gomore produced a whip and began whipping the couple. The assault lasted all day.
When the police arrived the following morning, the woman was already dead.
Gomore has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
During sentencing, Judge Ngoni Noun said: “The assault perpetrated upon the deceased intermittently from morning until late at night, notwithstanding her screams and the pleas made by her husband. Your conduct displayed a gross disregard for human life and dignity.”
He added: “This court cannot ignore the increasing prevalence of violence perpetrated under the guise of spiritual discipline or religious authority. Human life is sacred and enjoys constitutional protection.”
Source(s): The Herald, 15 July 2026
Havana Syndrome Victims Receive Compensation
The US government has paid out nearly $3 million in compensation to victims of Havana Syndrome, the mysterious condition that affects US spies, diplomats and their families.
Symptoms of Havana Syndrome include hearing unusual sounds, experiencing intense pressure on the skull, dizziness, nausea and difficulty concentrating.
The condition was first reported in 2016 by CIA officers working in Havana, Cuba. But it has since been reported in other countries, including China.
Over the years, there has been much speculation as to what – and who – is responsible for causing the condition. A leading theory is that a foreign adversary has devised some form of exotic microwave or sonic weapon. However, in 2013 a US intelligence assessment concluded that this was “very unlikely.”
Regardless of the who or what, many of the victims believe they were harmed in the line of duty and deserve ongoing support.
“My brain is broken,” said former CIA analyst Erika Stith in 2022. “We got this as a result of serving our country. And we deserve to be taken care of.”
Source(s): BBC News Online, accessed 20 July 2026
Old News: “Black Magic Rite” at St Mary’s Church
On the afternoon of Saturday, 7 December 1963, in St Mary’s Church, Westham in East Sussex, England, four men were caught performing a “black magic rite.”
The incident took place while parishioners were attending the church’s Christmas bazaar in the village school next door.
St Mary’s Church, Westham – Hassocks5489//Wikimedia Commons
Walter Binstead, a bellringer at St Mary’s, had seen the men enter the church.
“I went to the church to meet a party of visiting bellringers when these men walked up the street at a brisk pace,” said Mr Binstead. “They seemed as if they knew the place and walked as if they had a job to do. I asked them what they wanted and one of them said they were artists.
“I went back to the church soon afterwards to switch the lights on and found the men had moved the candles and lit them. They were set out in the shape of a cross and one of the men was facing the altar and mumbling something.”
Mr Binstead ran to the school to get help. He returned with Mr R Tourle, Captain L E Hayden, Mr R Wood and Mr Colin Pocock.
“The men were leaving when we got back,” said Mr Binstead. “There was a bit of a scuffle and Captain Hayden’s glasses were knocked off.”
According to Mr Tourle, as the men left one of them said to him: “A very ancient ceremony has taken place.”
The men got into a car that had been parked near Pevensey Castle and drove off.
When Binstead et al inspected the scene, they found that “the altar cross had been spat upon.”
The four men, who all appeared to be in their thirties, were said to be smartly dressed – with one of them resembling an undertaker.
Police throughout East Sussex were alerted, but at the time of this report, neither the car nor its occupants had been found.
Source(s): Eastbourne Gazette, 11 December 1963
Unless otherwise attributed, all images were created by the author using Microsoft Copilot (AI).
Wonder how they confirm the Havana syndrome to make the payouts.
Great issue.