Found footage is something you typically see in films. It has become a popular genre of horror films. Films like Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project got their fame from making a film completely comprised of found footage. The term found footage refers to hand held or otherwise low quality footage that was found after an incident happened. These incidents usually end in the original owner of the camera losing the camera and it provides context to what happened.

This makes for a great movie genre, but it’s become more and more oversaturated in the horror movie genre. However, these videos showcasing real found footage tapes are anything but overplayed. These tapes are subject to provide information on what happened to people moments before they lost their lives or disappeared. They are usually filmed with low quality cameras and are typically filmed in a first person perspective. This provides an extra creep factor, because it makes the viewer feel as though they are actually in these situations.

Tapes like these are found every day, but they are usually turned in to police or forgotten about. However, on several occasions these tapes will be released to the public to help provide names to faces that committed crimes. They also serve as a good way to see what not to do in life…

15. Paris Catacombs

The Paris Catacombs are home to over six million human remains that make up the walls of the catacombs. The catacombs are a tourist attraction nowadays. Certain spots of the catacombs are blocked off from public exploration and for good reason. However, this doesn’t stop many from going anyway. An old video camera was found when a group of explorers were walking through the dark hallways.

The cameraman films his experiences first hand, as he explores the empty catacombs. He explores for about forty minutes, then things take a turn for the worse. The man filming begins to walk faster and faster, and you can tell he is becoming anxious as he loses his way. He eventually drops the camera, and we can see his feet as he runs off, never to be seen again.

14. Crash Landing

Two men took a private airplane to make their way through Colorado, back in the ’80s. However they never arrived. Three years later, the crash site of the plane was found by a few backpackers, and they immediately reported it to proper authorities. Among the rubble, investigators uncovered footage of the crash. It was recorded on an old VHS camera, and captured the two men’s last moments alive.

The tape was badly damaged, however the authorities were able to piece it back together, so they could view it as proper evidence. From the video, investigators concluded that the pilot didn’t take into the account the rising terrain, and it ended up costing their lives. The pilot attempted to turn right, but the engine stalled resulting in them losing altitude. The most chilling part of this footage is when you can hear the pilot yelling to his friend to hang on moments before the plane crashes…

13. Steven McDaniel Case

Steven McDaniel was in a law class at his local college with his friend Lauren. However, Lauren didn’t realize just how friendly Steven thought they were. Steven developed a dark obsession with Lauren that would end in tragedy. For several months, Steven was filming Lauren through her window, using a six-foot long stick. Steven was becoming anxious as graduation was approaching, and he couldn’t bare the fact that he might never see her again.

Steven broke into Lauren’s apartment wearing a mask and gloves. He hopped on top of her and grabbed her throat. She was able to rip off the mask revealing it was Steven, and she was pleading that he stop. He kept choking her for over fifteen minutes, until she took her last breath. Steven turned himself in, and video evidence of his stalking was retrieved from his computer. Steven was sentenced to life without parole.

12. Arsonist

In 1989, an overheated car pulled over to the side of the road to do repairs. The man and his son decided to walk to the nearest gas station to phone for help. This is when he noticed a jacket, with a VHS tape hidden underneath it. The VHS tape wasn’t labeled, and out of curiosity the man decided to take it with them. When they got home, they popped it in the player, and decided to immediately contact police about it.

In the video, a man can be seen filming what appears to be a burning house, and he’s whispering to himself. The man in the video kept mentioning a name Omar, and investigators assumed it was some sort of revenge plot. Investigators went back to the spot where the VHS was originally found, and surprisingly it was still there. With the help of further evidence, they were able to determine two kids started the fire, and both were convicted. However, there’s still one question that remains… Who is Omar?

11. Exploring Old Mines

This video tape comes from an abandoned mine, where explorers are on the verge of creating the first ever urban exploration video. The abandoned mine was located in Utah, and there was a group of about 5-6 boys ready to explore it. They find a rope that leads down the shaft, and start investigating a way to get back up if they decide to descend into the creepy mines. The boys estimate the rope leads down about thirty feet, and one boy decides to take the plunge.

The boy grabs onto the rope, and begins to descend. Seconds later, the rope breaks, sending the boy down the empty shaft. The boy fell sixty feet, and the fall knocked him unconscious. However, miraculously he was still alive. He had to wait hours in a pitch black mine for emergency services to rescue him. This goes to show that you shouldn’t explore abandoned mines.

10. Obsession Gone Too Far

There’s nothing wrong with having a celebrity crush, and many people have one. However, it becomes a problem when that crush becomes an obsession. Ricardo was a man who was socially awkward, and instead of trying to date normal women, he spent his time obsessing over celebrities. One of the celebrities he fell in love with was an Icelandic singer named Bjork. He soon lost complete sense of reality, and fell into a deep obsession with the singer.

He kept a diary of strange fantasies about him and the singer, and the diary got up to 800 pages worth of writing. After finding out that Bjork was dating someone, he became angry, and decided to make a video diary about plotting his revenge. The footage all together reached lengths of 20 hours. He decided that he needed to kill Bjork since he couldn’t have her. He hollowed out a book, and made a homemade bomb to send to Bjork’s residence. After he sent the package, he made his last video diary wherein he took his own life.

9. The Kidnapping Tape

In 2010, a twenty year old mother got into a stranger’s vehicle for a ride somewhere. After she got in that car, she disappeared and was never heard from again. A couple of years later, a tape was released of the woman talking to her kidnapper. The investigators thought instead of taking the woman to the north into the city, he decided to take her southeast, in the complete opposite direction.

The man on the tape was never identified, and police released the tape to the public in the hopes of tracking down the man who took her. The police refused to state how they got the recording. However, the woman was making a call to her brother during her kidnapping, who was in jail, and all phone calls are recorded in correctional facilities. There has been no updates on the story, and the man is still at large.

8. Snapchat Stalker

In Indiana, two teenage girls were walking down an abandoned railroad track one evening. This was the last time anyone would ever see the two girls. One of the girls was documenting their journey on Snapchat. She took a photo of a strange man who she believed was following them. When the girls didn’t return home, their parents reported them missing. The next day, the girl’s bodies were found a mile from where they had been that day.

Police investigators referenced the girls’ phones to gather evidence linking the criminal. They found a video that could help prove who committed such an awful crime. The investigators only released three seconds of footage to the public, and it’s of a sound byte of an older man saying, “Down the hill.” This can be assumed to be the creepy man that was stalking the two girls. The man hasn’t been identified, and is still at large.

7. Concert on Fire

On February 20th, 2003, a band called The Great White was playing a night club. During one of their hit songs, the tour manager decided to set off sparks for added effect. The sparks lit up the acoustic foam around the stage and started a fire that quickly got out of control. The foam was highly flammable and went up instantly.

As the club started to fill with dark black smoke, people began to panic. In thirty seconds, the whole stage was up in flames, and the band fled thought the back exit. The crowd began to stampede each other as there was only one other exit that wasn’t near the fire. Over 400 people were in the crowd that night, and around a hundred lost their lives. The bouncer wasn’t allowing people to leave out of the back exit, as he stated it was only for the band. The cameraman escaped, and was able to film the building engulfing in the flames.

6. Ricky Rodriguez

The Children of God is a religious group that is better known as being a cult. The son of the founder Ricky was abused as a child, and this led to a despair filled adulthood. He heavily resented his parents, especially his father for leading the group. He spoke of his childhood often in his adult life. His anger towards his parents kept them away from him, and they were in hiding, keeping their location away from Ricky.

He arranged a meeting with one of his mother’s friends, and his nanny for some time when he was a child. He recorded a video the night before their meeting, and he discussed his plans of avenging all of the children subjected to abuse, as he was. He took the life of his nanny the next day, and proceeded to kill himself the same day. Ricky sent these tapes to a friend of his before passing to get his word out there.

5. Heaven’s Gate

There is a chance you’ve heard of this cult due to their outrageous belief system. They believed the Earth was going to be destroyed and recycled, and the only way to survive would be to leave it immediately. They had plans to leave via a spaceship, and the only way to get on the ship was to take your own life. They believed the human body was a vessel put in place to help their journey.

The leader convinced over thirty of his followers to join him, and filmed their final moments before taking off on their adventure. All of the people being interviewed seemed calm, and even happy at times. The followers began to eat poisoned apple sauce, and put bags over their heads while lying in bed. All followers took their lives in the days that followed. This shows the power some people have in persuading others of the “right way” to enlightenment.

4. The Sinking Ship Tapes

In 2016, a boat capsized on the coast of South Korea. The boat was carrying 476 passengers. Most were high school students. When the boat initially capsized, the captain told everyone to stay on the boat. The captain fled the boat, and got away leaving crew and passengers to fend for themselves. The footage was recorded by two boys, who sadly lost their lives.

The passengers were instructed to put on life jackets, which would be the cause of their demise. Passengers can be heard saying their farewells to their families. 300 passengers died that day, and little over a hundred were rescued. Those that survived didn’t listen to the captain’s instructions, which would save their lives. The captain was convicted, and given a life sentence in prison.

3. Grave Robbing For Dummies

This video is one of the most popular Internet mysteries, and it remains unsolved. This video was filmed in the 1990s, and was soon circulating after that. The video features a teen talking about everything you need to know about robbing a grave. These include not getting caught, which parts are the most valuable, and other disturbing tips. In the tape, the boy can be seen holding a real skull, which he’s taken from a grave.

Nobody knows if it is true or not, but skeptics say his advice is too exaggerated to be legit. The part where he talks about leaving witnesses, is almost comical, as he tries to play it off as being serious. Before the video ends, the teen says, “you’ll know who it was”, and ironically nobody knows who he is. This Internet mystery may never be solved, and maybe that’s for the better.

2. Cassie’s Murder

In September of 2016, a typical day of high school started for Cassie. She had no idea how soon her life would end. A boy began to film her before class, asking her about the whereabouts of a mutual friend. The girl seems very uncomfortable in the tape. Later that same day, the two boys filmed themselves apologizing to Cassie’s family for what they were about to do.

Cassie was house sitting, when she was visited by her boyfriend. The two boys show up to the house, and the four of them watched a movie together. The two left the house, and waited for her boyfriend to leave so that they could strike. The two entered the home, and took the life of Cassie. The most disturbing part is the reactions they have after leaving Cassie’s house. The two were arrested, and the footage was discovered soon after. Both were charged with life sentences without parole.

1. Crazy Old Man Attacks Pranksters

This video showcases a classic prank being performed by three teens. The teens plan to prank local neighbors with the flaming bag of poop prank. The video shows one of the teens crossing the street to place the bag on someone’s doorstep. An older man exits to stomp out the bag, and it seems like the prank went off without a hitch.

Their mistake was going back for seconds. The pranksters still haven’t been caught, and they were still not ready to give up. They did it a third time, but the old man was prepared this time, and was watching for them. The old man kicked the kid, and dragged him inside his house. The two others filming tried to get their friend, and looked inside the old man’s house. They went around the side of the house to try to get in the back way. As they turned the corner, the old man could be seen wielding an axe, and he attacked the cameraman and his friend. The video cuts after that, and not much else is known about the incident.