The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

THERE WAS A PROMINENT FAMILY IN DEARBORN WHO HIRED THIS
GIRL TO BABYSIT FOR THEIR TWO CHILDREN. WHEN THE COUPLE
LEFT, THE PHONE RANG AND A MAN SAID, "I KNOW WHERE
YOU ARE AND AM GOING TO KILL YOU." THE GIRL GETS REALLY
SCARED, SO SHE CALLS HER MOTHER AND HER MOTHER TELLS
HER TO CALL THE POLICE IF SHE GETS THE CALL AGAIN AND
THEN LET HER (THE MOTHER) KNOW WHAT THEY SAID.
A LITTLE WHILE LATER, THE PHONE RINGS AGAIN AND THE MAN
SAYS "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AND THE TWO KIDS." THE GIRL
IS REALLY SCARED NOW BECAUSE THE GUY KNOWS SO MUCH, SO
SHE CALLS THE POLICE. THE POLICE COME AND LOOK AROUND,
DON'T FIND ANYTHING; BUT TELL HER THEY WILL PUT A TRACER
ON THE PHONE. THEN THEY LEAVE.
THE PHONE RINGS AGAIN AND SAYS, "I'M COMING TO GET YOU."
THE OPERATOR CUTS IN AND TELLS THE GIRL TO KEEP HIM ON
THE PHONE LONGER, SO SHE CAN TRACE IT. 5 MINUTES LATER
THE PHONE RINGS AND THE GUY STARTS TO LAUGH AND SAYS,
"I'VE KILLED THE 2 KIDS, NOW I'M GOING TO KILL YOU."
AT THIS THE OPERATOR CUTS IN AND SAYS, "RUN OUT THE
FRONT DOOR, HE'S UPSTAIRS." IT SEEMS THE FAMILY HAD A
BUSINESS PHONE UPSTAIRS WHICH THE MAN WAS USING.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT SAYS SHE BELIEVED IT UNTIL SHE HEARD
DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF IT FROM DIFFERNT PEOPLE, EACH
CLAIMING TO HAVE READ IT IN THE NEWSPAPER.

Where learned: WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

Date learned: 10-29-1970