The 7 Creepiest News Stories Of 2015

2015 has been a wealth of strange tales. Whether it was the bizarre statements coming from GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump or the ways the media failed, this was truly the year of the weird. A whole lot of downright bizarre, scary news went on this year and not just in the United States. The seven creepiest news stories of 2015 will give you chills around the globe.

This year's batch of terrifying tales include a particularly horrifying incident from Northern Ireland. Two badly decomposing bodies were discovered in a farmhouse by a group of burglars who were so distraught over what they'd come across that they notified law enforcement and didn't steal a thing. One of the bodies is thought to be that of notorious con woman Julia Holmes, who had been evading authorities for years.

Holmes, along with her partner Tom Ruttle, reportedly took a suicide pact, poisoned themselves, and left notes just waiting to be discovered. According to experts, their corpses had been in the farmhouse for weeks before burglars came across them. Holmes' demise comes just as her victims were getting closer to discovering her whereabouts. She had conned dozens of people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years and was even deported from the U.S. for her actions. It's unclear what state the house was in and few details have emerged regarding the possible suicide pact. The mystery only adds to the creepiness of the case.

Here's what else 2015 brought.

Brain-Eating Amoeba

A brain-eating amoeba once again claimed another victim. Tragically, the Naegleria fowleri amoeba infected a promising young cross-country runner who had been swimming with his team. Michael John Riley Jr. died days after the amoeba had infected him, effectively eliminating all brain function. The brain-eating amoeba, which is mostly found in warm, still water, is the cause of primary amebic meningoencephalitis, which is incredibly fatal. It typically infects people by attaching itself to mucous membranes in the nose and working its way up to the brain.

The Watcher

A family moving into an ornate six bedroom home in Westfield, New Jersey have since moved out of what they thought was their dream home and subsequently sued the previous owners. According to Derek and Maria Broaddus, who purchased the property in June, they are being harassed by the Watcher, a mysterious stalker who says that they have been put in charge of overseeing the home in the creepiest terms imaginable. The Watcher reportedly sent letters to the house insinuating that they can see the Broaddus family's every move, hinting at something sinister lurking behind the home's walls and calling out for "young blood." The identity of the Watcher has yet to be discovered and the Watcher claims that they come from a long line of people taking care of the home from afar.

Trespassing Clowns

Trespassing clowns were once again a creepy, creepy problem. In 2014, clowns descended on the central California towns of Bakersfield and Wasco, walking the streets at odd hours and terrifying all they came across. In 2015, the clowns came to Chicago. It's unclear if the two clown squads are related, but the Chi-town clowns upped the creepy ante and were seen trespassing in cemeteries in July. Their identities and motives are still unclear. Who knows what part of the country the trespassing clowns may end up in 2016?

Real Life Ghost Ships

Mysterious ships thought to be from North Korea have been washing up on the shores of Japan. The boats are rumored to either be fishing vessels or military boats, the latter of which may be a front to transport government defectors. One thing is certain, however — every boat that has appeared has contained bodies of deceased passengers. Officials have discovered corpses, skulls, and headless bodies from at least a dozen ghost ships.

The Burglar In The Chimney

A suspected burglar died before stealing anything out of a Huron, California, home in November, marking one of the few cases where a suspect became a victim. The man reportedly attempted to enter the home through the chimney and got stuck, only being discovered as the homeowner unknowingly lit a fire in his fireplace. The homeowner heard the suspected burglar's screams and put out the flames as fast as he could, filling his home in smoke. Despite the homeowner's quick actions, when firefighters discovered the man in the chimney, he was already deceased.

The Hand In The Attic

While cleaning out their grandparent's attic, siblings Mike and Maria Lopez stumbled upon some puzzling family history. The Tampa residents reportedly found artifacts from the legendary pirate Jose Gaspar, thought to be the last of the buccaneers. Mike Lopez told local news affiliate WTSP that his great-grandfather may have stumbled upon Gaspar's treasure and took some of the bounty for himself, including century old coins, a map, a photo of his great-grandparents and what appears to be a human hand. The coins were confirmed to be fake and the origin of the hand — be it human or otherwise — is still unclear.