The Ghostly Apparition of the Hex Murder
The “Hex Murder” of Kalamazoo is well known in local legend as a murder steeped in witchcraft, however, there is an even deeper hidden story involving ghosts, cults, and betrayal among friends.
A Welcome Invitation
On the afternoon of Jul 18, 1929, 76-year-old Etta Fairchild donned her favorite dress and hat while cheerfully exclaiming that she was going to visit her friends, the Burgess’. She somehow made it to the Burgess home, about half a mile from the Merrill Home in which she was a resident. Etta was kept healthy in her old age by her friends’ love and charity, among which the Burgess family was counted. They had known each other well for over 15 years, including before her husband, Rev. Madison French Fairchild, had passed away due to heart ailments. As she was close to the Burgess children, she asked to see Eugenie that day she arrived but was sternly told Eugenie, the 17-year-old daughter, was away [4, 8, 9, 12, 14, *].
Mrs. Fairchild lived most of her life in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She had no children in her marriage to Rev. Madison Fairchild, and from all accounts, she became close with the children of her neighbors and her many cats. She had an intense sense of humor, strong…
