Houses, hotels, and other buildings are probably the first places that come to mind when thinking of haunted locales. However, spectral stories can be linked to all types of places. In fact, one of the state’s most notorious tales is centered around a historic bridge. Take a look:
Tucked away in Ashmore, a village in rural Coles County, Airtight Bridge is a historic bridge with a dark past.
Built in 1914, the 188-foot bridge spans the Embarras River.
At one time, the bridge was most known as a hangout, used by local teens as a drinking spot.
However, that changed on October 19, 1980, when two men discovered the corpse of a nude woman about 50-feet from the bridge.
According to reports, the body was missing its head, hands, and feet. Scuba divers searched the waters of the river, looking for the missing appendages but to no avail.
Eventually, the unidentified woman was laid to rest in Charleston’s Mound Cemetery. The headstone simply read, "Jane Doe."
The woman’s identity, along with that of her murderer, remained a mystery for years.
However, in 1992, investigators were able to use DNA analysis to reveal the woman’s identity — Diana Marie Riordan-Small.
Apparently, Diana disappeared from her Bradley home, never to be seen again. Once identified, the headstone that previously read, “Jane Doe,” was replaced.
Though the body was identified, it would be another 25 years before Diana’s murderer was captured. However, justice was served in 2017, when Diana’s husband, Thomas A. Small, was convicted of her murder.
The story doesn’t end there, though. Since the discovery of Diana’s body, some strange occurrences have taken place at Airtight Bridge.
Even the bridge’s moniker, which locals say was given to the bridge “because of the unnatural stillness encountered while crossing it,” pays homage to the seemingly spectral forces at play.
What’s more, it’s not uncommon for vehicles to stall on the road leading to the bridge.
Watch the video below to learn more about Airtight Bridge and its eerie past.
So, did you know about this bridge? What about the spooky stories surrounding it? Ever experienced anything firsthand? Tell us in the comments section.
This isn’t the state’s only notorious haunt. Read about others here.
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