Here are all the terrifying, shocking, and extremely disturbing things I learned about recently. Some are stories from just last month, and some are stories from many years ago.

Warning: Graphic content ahead, including stories of murder.

1.

In January 2019, real estate investors inspecting a vacant Philadelphia house narrowly avoided triggering a deadly booby trap . A staircase had been rigged with a tripwire that, if disturbed, would release a crutch with a large knife duct-taped to it, swinging down at head level. The group spotted the wire just in time and tested it with a pole, confirming it could have caused serious injury or death.

No one was hurt, but the setup — along with hazards like glass shards on the stairs — suggested it was deliberately designed to harm whoever entered.…