From The Banner · Kaitlin Newman · · 1m 20s
O'Donnell Heights Phantom: 1979 nightmare
A Baltimore woman recalls the caped figure who haunted her childhood neighborhood in 1979.
In brief
A Baltimore woman recalls the caped figure who haunted her childhood neighborhood in 1979. Sharon Lowe, 61, remembers a 1979 phantom sighting in O'Donnell Heights that has haunted her nightmares for decades. Originally reported by The Banner.
Sharon Lowe's childhood
Sharon Lowe was 14 in 1979 when she saw a caped figure near St. Stanislaus Cemetery.
“Why is he wearing a top hat and a cape?”
The phantom's appearance
The figure wore a white shirt, black cape lined in red, and a top hat with hidden eyes.
“He has a horrible face and is dressed in black.”
Phantom sightings
Residents described the phantom as tall, thin, and long-legged with the speed of a horse.
“He has a horrible face and is dressed in black.”
1951 neighborhood defense
In 1951, residents armed with shotguns and butcher knives prepared to defend against phantom sightings.
“He has a horrible face and is dressed in black.”
Silent neighborhood
The phantom was never caught, and no one was ever found after decades of sightings.
“He has a horrible face and is dressed in black.”
Lowe's childhood fear
Lowe's father sealed and painted over her house's skylight to prevent phantom sightings.
“Because my dad didn’t want anyone looking in”
1979 cemetery sighting
Lowe saw the phantom smile with visible teeth at St. Stanislaus Cemetery in 1979.
“It was full teeth. A smirky kind of look, like, 'I’m coming'”
Phantom's last sighting
The phantom was last seen heading toward Highlandtown in 1979.
“He has a horrible face and is dressed in black.”
Modern-day nightmare
Lowe still has nightmares about the phantom 47 years after the sighting.
“It was full teeth. A smirky kind of look, like, 'I’m coming'”
The short version
Sharon Lowe, 61, remembers a 1979 phantom sighting in O'Donnell Heights that has haunted her nightmares for decades.
