The Hex Hollow Murder — Witchcraft, Fear, and a Pennsylvania Tragedy
- D. Whitman
- Dec 1
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
The Hex Hollow Murder: Dark Magic, Fear, and a Deadly Pennsylvania Curse
On a cold November night in 1928, three men walked into a remote farmhouse deep in Pennsylvania’s York County — a place locals whispered about, a place they believed was a gateway between the living and the supernatural.
By dawn, a respected local farmer named Nelson Rehmeyer was dead.His home burned.His murderer convinced he had just killed a witch.
This is the chilling tale of the Hex Hollow Murder — a terrifying blend of superstition, rural magic, fear, and the deadly power of belief.
The Pennsylvania Dutch Tradition of "Powwowing"
To understand the Hex Hollow Murder, you must first understand powwowing — not a Native American practice, but a system of Pennsylvania Dutch folk healing.
It was a blend of:
Christian scripture
Protective charms
Ritual healing
Folk magic
Generations-old superstitions
Many families in early-20th-century Pennsylvania used powwow books like The Long Lost Friend to treat illness, heal livestock, remove curses, and protect their homes.
But not all “powwowers” had the same reputation…
And fear spreads quickly in isolated mountain communities.
A Man Convinced He Was Cursed
In 1928, 30-year-old John Blymire became convinced that he was the victim of a dark hex.
He had:
Lost his job
Fallen chronically ill
Lost weight
Become paranoid
Felt “something” stalking him in his sleep
Suffered constant misfortune
Superstitious since childhood, Blymire believed he was under the power of a witch — and he became obsessed with identifying who cursed him.
A local seer told him the culprit was “The Witch of Rehmeyer’s Hollow.”
That witch, she claimed, was Nelson Rehmeyer, a local powwower who lived alone in a dark, wooded valley known as Hex Hollow.
To break the curse, Blymire believed he needed:
A lock of Rehmeyer’s hair
Rehmeyer’s Long Lost Friend book
A ritual of burning and burying these items
And in his mind… it was life or death.
The Night of the Murder
On November 27, 1928, Blymire and two teenage accomplices — John Curry and Wilbert Hess — broke into Rehmeyer’s home.
They intended only to steal the book and hair.
But when Rehmeyer resisted, panic and superstition took over.
The men beat him savagely. Strangled him.Left him lifeless on the floor.
Believing the curse was too strong, they drenched the body and set the house on fire — hoping to destroy Rehmeyer’s “hexing power.”
But the house barely burned.The fire fizzled. The body remained.
In local folklore, this became proof that Rehmeyer’s power survived even death.
The Trial That Shocked America
When authorities discovered Rehmeyer’s body, the three men were quickly arrested.
In court, their defense stunned the nation:
They claimed they killed him because they believed he was a witch.
Newspapers sensationalized the case, calling it:
“The Hex Murder”
“Witchcraft in Pennsylvania”
“The Hex Hollow Tragedy”
The public became obsessed with powwow magic, curses, folk healing, and the idea that witchcraft still held power in rural America.
Blymire received a life sentence.Hess and Curry (both minors) received long prison terms.
The Curse of Hex Hollow
After the murder, the hollow gained a reputation as a place of:
Hauntings
Bad luck
Unexplained apparitions
Nighttime whispers
Shadowy figures crossing the road
Strange glowing lights
Locals claim Rehmeyer’s spirit protects the valley — and that those who come with bad intentions feel an oppressive heaviness in the air.
Visitors report:
Cold spots
Scratches
Dizziness
Sudden nausea
Voices calling their name
Today, Rehmeyer’s Hollow remains one of Pennsylvania’s most famous haunted sites.
Some believe Rehmeyer was a healer.Others believe he dabbled in something darker.And many believe that the curse, one way or another… still lingers.
Why This Case Still Fascinates True Crime Researchers
The Hex Hollow Murder is so compelling because it sits perfectly at the crossroads of:
Crime
Folklore
Superstition
Religious fear
Mental illness
Rural magic
Witchcraft legends
It is a rare moment where belief killed as powerfully as any weapon.
It’s a story that could only unfold in a place like Rehmeyer’s Hollow — where isolation, fear, and ancient traditions collided with modern America.
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Listen to the Full Episode of The Hex Hollow Murder
Final Thoughts
The Hex Hollow Murder isn’t just a crime — it’s a reflection of human fear and the dark power of belief.
It reminds us that sometimes the most dangerous force is not magic or curses…but the stories we tell ourselves in the dark.
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