The Tallman House Ghost

This is a story that was highlighted on the television series, Unsolved Mysteries. The Tallman House Ghost is one of the best-known stories this series aired. It is also considered the most frightening.

It is about a family that lived in the small farming community of Horicon, Wisconsin.

Tallman House

The Tallman’s, Debbie and Alan moved into a one-story home with their children in 1986.

They were excited about owning their own home.

But strange things began to happen to the family once they bought a bunk bed, at a second-hand store.

Tallman bunk bed.

The couple came to believe what happened next was somehow connected to this wooden bunk bed.

They experienced nine months of terror and fear.

Their children had never been sick, even with colds, but mysteriously as soon as this bed was brought into the home—their children, two daughters, and a son, became seriously ill—for no apparent reason.

A clock radio near their son, Danny’s bed began to have a mind of its own. It would turn off and on and switch channels without assistance.

At first, when Danny told his parents about this, they did not believe him. But then strange things began to happen to Alan.

Painting the basement one day, he left his work to eat dinner. When he returned, he found his paintbrush had been turned upside down. The bristles were now sticking up out of the paint gallon.

One depiction of the dark figure.

Their youngest daughter, while sleeping in the lower bunk was startled awake, several times by a dark figure, staring at her, that was surrounded by a red glow.

Several weeks later her brother, Danny, saw the same figure.

The family had their pastor, Wayne Dobratz visit the home, and he told the couple he sensed “something evil” was haunting them.

After this, the whole family began to hear doors slam shut violently. They also heard strange voices.

The children’s visions continued, and Danny, became so frightened, he told his parents he wanted to move.

Allan now frustrated and angry told the entity to leave his children alone, that he was willing to fight it if necessary.

After this, the dark entity focused upon him. Returning home late one night from work, he heard an odd howling sound that evolved into a voice calling, “come here.”

He followed this voice around the house, but nothing was there.

Depiction of garage burning.

When he returned to the garage, it was on fire, so he ran into the house to retrieve a fire extinguisher. But when he returned, everything was calm. There was no damage or sign that anything had burned.

When Alan re-entered the house, he went to retrieve his metal lunch pail, which he had set down earlier, but the entity yanked it from his hands and threw it across the room.

Alan began to sleep in his daughter’s room to provide protection and comfort. One night a fog rose from the floor and surrounded him. He then heard a voice say, “You’re dead.”

Debby called the family pastor, once more. She explained Alan was distraught. Dobratz felt the Tallman’s home had a “Demonic presence.”

Their pastor didn't find any evidence they were fabricating the incidents.

Several weeks later, Alan working late, asked a male relative to stay with his family. This man, a skeptic, did not believe what the Tallman’s had told him about the haunting.

That night he changed his mind.

The same dark figure, glowing red appeared, in the children’s room and screamed. Debby told this relative, who was now in shock, to gather up the children, they were leaving.

The Tallman’s shortly after this had the bunk bed destroyed. This worked, but despite the activity settling down, they moved to a different town. 

Here is the Unsolved Mysteries episode that originally aired in October of 1988, it is the second case highlighted--beginning at the 16:33 minute mark and ending at 28:30. 

I write about another favorite Unsolved Mystery episode entitled, The Tatum Haunting, here.