Hello Poison Friends! We are less than a week away from Halloween and I did not want to miss a chance to talk about an old urban legend dealing with trick or treaters being poisoned via the candy they collect. Stories of varying characters and settings, but the same plot, have traveled around and have caused a lot of fear among parents and children alike. In this episode, we are covering a specific case that encouraged the "poisoned Halloween candy" myths to a new level.
In 1974, near Houston, TX, Timothy O'Bryan was 8 years old when he ate some Pixie Stix candy powder and died less than an hour later after vomiting and convulsing. He didn't even make it to the hospital. According to the boys father, this Pixie Stix, along with four others he had given to his daughter, a neighbor's two children, and a child he had known from their church, was given to him by a man in a house they had visited during trick or treating that evening. Mr. O'Bryan claimed that he waited at the door even after his children and neighbors ran to the next house and after a moment the door opened in the dark and an arm handed the candy to him. He stated he saw no face or other features. Just an arm in the dark.
This story struck fear into the hearts of those living nearby, of course, but it ended with a horrifying twist.
Along with this story, we are discussing some similar incidents and the outcomes of them as well as whether poison was the cause or not.
Thank you to all of our listeners and supporters! Please feel free to leave a comment or send us a DM for any questions, suggestions, or just to say, "hi."
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