Welcome to your roundup of the bizarre and unbelievable! The world is a weird place, and we're here to shine a light on the stories that prove it. From mistaken identities to a killer who fooled everyone, here is a look at some of the most unbelievable news to make the rounds.
The Case of the Misidentified Hedgehog
We begin with a story that’s both heartwarming and hilarious. A kind-hearted woman rushed what she thought was a baby hedgehog to a Cheshire animal hospital, only for staff to discover her patient was, in fact, a furry hat bobble. The good Samaritan had even tucked it in with a hot water bottle and a serving of food. This story proves that even the most well-meaning among us can get it wrong, just like the red kite that Andy once saw drop a "dead squirrel" into a neighbor’s garden, only for the furry object to turn out to be a gray slipper.
A Rat in the... Toilet
If you have a fear of things lurking in your plumbing, this story won’t help. A 76-year-old man in Canada ended up in the intensive care unit after he was bitten by a rat that had made its way into his toilet bowl. The man, who thankfully survived, contracted a severe bacterial disease from the bite after trying to fish the rodent out. This nightmare scenario hits close to home for Andy, who once had a terrifying moment of his own while dealing with a rat infestation in his house and a chilling fear that one might emerge from the toilet.
The Fantasy Flat
Not all weird news is grim. This week, we celebrated a truly incredible story of creativity. A man who lived in a rented flat in Merseyside secretly converted it into an awe-inspiring fantasy world over 30 years. When he passed away, his family discovered the home filled with hand-crafted murals, sculptures, and a fireplace shaped like a lion. The incredible space has since been given a Grade II listed status, preserving it as a testament to the artist's secret life and imagination.
A Dark Turn: The Fentanyl Killer
The world can be a dark place, and this story is a grim reminder of that. A "nerdy weird" man who volunteered at a soup kitchen and helped a local couple with their website was revealed to be a cold, calculating killer. The man, Luke DeWitt, used his position of trust to poison the couple with a lethal dose of fentanyl before rewriting their will to make himself the beneficiary. The case revealed his meticulous planning, as he was found with 80 electronic devices used to create fake personalities and even a hidden camera that he used to watch his victims die.
Outlandish Headlines: From Alien Abductions to Vampire Facials
Finally, no wyrd news roundup would be complete without some truly unbelievable headlines. A man on a YouTube channel claimed he was abducted by aliens who were harvesting his sperm to create alien-human hybrids. Meanwhile, a New Mexico salon was linked to an HIV outbreak years after it was shut down for offering "vampire facials," a gruesome procedure involving blood and microneedles. These are the stories that remind us that you never really know what’s going on just below the surface.