For thousands of years, accused criminals were subjected to being pressed or crushed to death, most famously during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

When Scott Amedure confessed his crush on his straight friend Jonathan Schmitz while appearing on the daytime talk show, a stunned Schmitz seemed to laugh it off — but three days later, he shot Amedure dead.

Samantha Koenig was just 18 years old when serial killer Israel Keyes kidnapped and murdered her in Anchorage, Alaska — before sewing her eyelids open for a chilling "proof of life" photo.

On the morning of February 27, 2012, T.J. Lane opened fire inside the cafeteria at Chardon High School, killing three students and wounding three others — while wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the word "killer."

Before they died out roughly 1,000 years ago, elephant birds could grow up to 10 feet tall and laid the largest eggs ever documented.

A beloved figure of Ghanaian folklore, Anansi is a charming trickster who triumphs over larger and more powerful adversaries by using his wits.

According to Aboriginal folklore, the bunyip waits in waterways for passing livestock to devour — and sometimes will feast on women and children as well.

Wrestler Maurice Tillet was stricken with acromegaly that caused his hands, feet, and facial features to swell to enormous proportions — and is rumored to have inspired Shrek.

Jeffrey Dahmer's mother struggled with mental illness while raising her son and never recovered from the guilt once his crimes came to light.

In November 2012, Shanna "Liz" Golyar murdered Cari Farver, then spent the next three years pretending to be her while sending tens of thousands of texts and emails to their shared love interest.