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Without doubt, William the Conqueror is best known for his conquest of England in 1066. His decisive victory at the Battle of Hastings led to the Norman invasion and profoundly changed the face of England forever. But how did William become the Duke of Normandy, and what led to the decision to set his sights on England, and what factors ensured his success?Early Life of the Duke of NormandyStatue of William the Conqueror in Calvados, France. Source: Bernard Dupont via FlickrYoung William hailed from Normandy, a region in northwest France. He was born a noble, the son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy (ruled 1027-1035). Like many of the Normans, Robert and his son were descended from Vikings who had raided the region since the 8th century, also serving as mercenaries for local rulers.With their power and territory expanding, a Viking named Rollo established the Duchy of Normandy in 911. He had seized the region of Rouen in the late 9th century and then expanded into Bayeux. In 911, he helped the King of West Francia, Charles the Simple, defeat another Viking band. This led to a new alliance, which saw Rollo baptized and his territorial claims recognized as Normandy. He married Charless daughter, Gisela, to seal the deal.State of Rollo, founder of Normandy, in Calvados, France. Source: Wikimedia CommonsWilliam was a direct descendant of Rollo, six generations on, representing a surprisingly stable dynasty, with father succeeding son until Williams father, Robert, who succeeded his elder brother Richard III.Nevertheless, there was some controversy surrounding Williams succession due to his mother, Herleva, who was not married to Robert. Consequently, William, who was born in 1028, was often known as William the Bastard in unfriendly sources. Some sources suggest that she was the daughter of a tanner or undertaker from the Norman town of Falaise, while others suggest she was of a more aristocratic background. Her aristocratic status is supported by the fact that she later married the Viscount of Conteville, and her brothers were reportedly influential during her sons minority.In 1035, his father died, and William inherited the throne of Normandy. Despite his status as a bastard and being just seven or eight years old, he was readily accepted as his fathers successor. Nevertheless, his lack of personal authority undermined ducal authority. Lesser nobles erected private castles, usurped important powers, and fought their own private wars. There were also attacks on Williams inner circle, with three of his guardians and his tutor dying violent deaths.William the Conqueror on the Bayeux Tapestry, 1070s. Source: Bayeux MuseumIn 1042, when William was just 15 years old, he was knighted and finally considered the independent Duke of Normandy. He immediately set to work recovering the power that he had lost and brought the vassals of Normandy back under his control. He managed this with the assistance of his overlord, King Henry III of France, but during this time, William learned much and proved himself a strong warrior and ruler. He became known for simple and direct plans that ruthlessly exploited any opportunity. He also withdrew at the first sign of any disadvantage.While Normandy was never fully secure, and William would fight rebellions and territory infringements for the rest of his life, after 1047 William was secure enough in Normandy that he could assist his king with battles in other areas, such as the kings attempts to strengthen the Frances southern frontier and campaigns in the west against Geoffrey Martel, the Count of Anjou.Political AlliancesStatue of Matilda of Flanders, Paris. Source: Wikimedia CommonsDuring the early part of Williams reign, Edward the Confessor, a prince of England, was exiled to the continent by Viking usurpers. William established a good relationship with Edward during his exile, and he supported him when he was recalled to England as king in 1041. In the 1050s, during a difficult period in Williams reign, he conducted important negotiations with Edward, strengthening their alliance.In 1049, William established an alliance with Count Baldwin V of Flanders, and in 1053, he married the counts daughter, Matilda. This was despite the union being condemned by the Pope, showing Williams eagerness to seal the alliance with Baldwin.William and Harold Godwinson on the Bayeux Tapestry, 1070s. Source: Bayeux MuseumIn 1054, King Henry II and Geoffrey Martel formed an alliance against William, while he was also dealing with a new rebellion at home. William defeated the alliance at the Battle of Mortimer the same year. The issue was brought to a final conclusion when both Henry and Geoffrey died in 1060 and were replaced by weak rulers. This left Williams the most powerful leader in northern France.In 1064, Edward sent Harold Godwinson, his brother-in-law, to William as an ambassador. The two men seemed to have formed an alliance and went on a campaign together into Brittany.William and his half-brothers Odo and Robert on the Bayeux Tapestry, 1070s. Source: Bayeux MuseumWhile all this was happening, William also implemented significant religious reforms. William made his half-brother Odo the Bishop of Bayeux, and worked with him and the other bishops to pass laws against simony (the selling of Church offices) and clerical marriages. He also endowed several monasteries and made several important monastic reforms with the support of Lanfranc of Pavia, a famous master of the liberal arts whom William welcomed into his territory.Williams Disputed Claim to the English CrownStatue of Edward the Confessor, Lichfield Cathedral. Source: Elliot Scott via FlickrEventually, William turned his attention to England. This was not a sudden and baseless attempt to conquer more land for himself. William asserted that he had a legitimate claim to the throne of England. Hence, his invasion in 1066 was merely a case of him taking by force what was rightfully his, at least as far as he was concerned.Williams claim to the throne of England was partially based on his lineage. Edward the Confessor died childless in January 1066, and he was the son of King Aethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. This made William Edwards first cousin once removed, giving him a familial claim to the English throne, even though he was not the closest claimant.Depiction of Harold swearing an oath to William on the Bayeux Tapestry, 1070s. Source: Bayeux MuseumMore important to Williams claim was his assertion that Edward had actually sworn to give the kingdom of England to William after his death. Some medieval sources claim that Edward had promised William the throne during the latters visit to England in 1051. Whether William actually visited England in that year or not, the promise is generally accepted as historical. Furthermore, in 1064, the powerful Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, had sworn that William could succeed Edward while in Normandy.Nevertheless, when Edward died, Harold immediately succeeded him. This was only logical, since he was from the most powerful family in Britain and had already done much of the ruling during the latter part of Edwards reign. Furthermore, Harold claimed that Edward had specifically chosen him as his heir when he was on his deathbed.Another claimant to the throne was Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, who had the support of Tostig, Harold Godwinsons brother.The Battle of Hastings in 1066A modern re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings outside Battle Abbey. Source: Wikimedia CommonsIn 1066, when it became clear that Harold Godwinson had no intention of fulfilling Edwards supposed promise, William decided to take England by force. According to William of Poitiers, a contemporary priest and chronicler, the Duke of Normandys planned invasion of England had the approval of Pope Alexander II.A single organized invasion of England would not be easy, so William spent the summer making preparations. He used this time to construct an enormous fleet of ships. One contemporary source, William of Jumiges, claimed that he constructed 3,000 ships to use in the invasion. While this is widely understood as an exaggeration, it nonetheless testifies to the evident enormity of Williams preparation. He also assembled a large army from all over his own territory and various allied territories, including Flanders and Brittany.An enormous and powerful army would be needed not only because of Harolds strength, but also because Harold knew that William would likely try to invade.Cavalry at the Battle of Hastings depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry, 1070s. Source: Bayeux MuseumThroughout the summer, Harold positioned his forces on the coast of England. However, at the summers end, he sent his troops home, thinking that William would not invade in the autumn. In reality, William would have invaded in August, but unfavourable winds made this unadvisable. Then, in September, he launched his ships.William had a grand strategy and was also lucky. Harold had been forced to march north to deal with the invasion of Harald Hardrada, successfully defeating and killing him. Harold Godwinson then quickly marched south, by which time William had arrived. The Normans decided to hold position at Hastings, just next to the coast, rather than attempt to travel north to meet Harold.Finally, on October 14, the two armies clashed. Though Harold had some initial successes, William was the superior tactician, employing fake retreats to draw out the enemy soldiers and then attack them with cavalry. By the end of the day, William had won the Battle of Hastings and Harold was dead. The Duke of Normandy was now William the Conqueror, King of England.How William the Conqueror Came to Rule EnglandThe tomb of William the Conqueror at the Church of Saint-tienne, Caen, France. Source: Wikimedia CommonsWilliam of Normandy, despite being born out of wedlock, succeeded his father as Duke of Normandy. Initially being a fragile child leader, through alliances and military conquests, William established himself as the most powerful king in northern France.When Edward the Confessor, the King of England, died in early 1066, William thought he had a good claim to the throne due to his family connection to Edward and promises reportedly made by Edward and his brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson. But when Harold went back on those promises and made himself king, William decided to take what he considered his by force. After months of preparation, William set sail for England with a huge army in September 1066 and won a decisive victory at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066. He was now William the Conqueror, King of England and Normandy. The presence of the Normans in England would forever change the country.

Wikimedia CommonsFrom left: Marlyse Honeychurch, Marie Elizabeth Vaughn, a still unidentified victim, and Sarah McWaters.The case stumped investigators for years: four bodies, found dismembered, skeletonized, wrapped in plastic bags, and stuffed in two 55-gallon steel drums in the Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire. And for years, no one could put a name to them, instead referring to the Bear Brook murders.Curiously, the first drum was found way back in 1985 and the second wasnt discovered until 2000. But there was no doubt the killings had been the handiwork of the same person.As it turned out, that person had been several different people throughout his life. Known at times as Curtis Kimball, others as Larry Vanner, and frequently as Bob Evans, the killers true name was revealed as Terry Rasmussen in 2017 seven years after his death.Yet, they still had no clue who the victims were. Three of the victims would be identified, however, two years later, thanks to the obsessive amateur sleuthing of Rebekah Heath and Barbara Rae-Venter. The identity of the fourth victim still remains a mystery.This is the twisted story of the Bear Brook Murders.Four Bodies Are Discovered In Bear Brook State Park 15 Years ApartOn Nov. 10, 1985, a hunter trekking through Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire came across a large, industrial steel drum. Inside, he found two bodies, dismembered, wrapped in plastic bags, and highly skeletonized beyond recognition, Oxygen reported. It was determined that they had been killed sometime between 1977 and 1985. The bodies were eventually buried in a nearby cemetery with a tombstone that read: Here lies the mortal remains known only to God of a woman aged 23-33 and a girl child aged 8-10. Their slain bodies were found on November 10th, 1985, in Bear Brook State Park. May their souls find peace in Gods loving care.The case had gone ice cold. Then 15 years later, on May 9, 2000, a second 55-gallon drum was discovered in the same area. How investigators had missed it over a decade prior remains unclear, but the second barrel, like the first, contained the mutilated bodies of two young girls, stored in the same manner. This new discovery didnt offer any immediate clues as to who the killer had been, though. The bodies were certainly killed around the same time as the first two, but with no way to identify them, and lacking any other insight, the investigation once again reached a dead end. It would take 17 years until the killer could be named and another two until his victims would be identified. Terry Peder Rasmussen The Killer With Many NamesPublic DomainTerry Peder Rasmussens 2002 mugshot after his arrest for the murder of his girlfriend Eunsoon Jun.In 2017, using genetic genealogy techniques, investigators were finally able to name their man: Terry Rasmussen, an inmate who had died seven years earlier in 2010 while serving a sentence for the murder of his then-girlfriend, Eunsoon Jun. It wasnt Rasmussens first time in prison, however hed just been using a different name. As the Los Angeles Times notes, Rasmussen had spent time in jail in the early 1990s for theft under the name Robert Evans. Before that, hed been jailed in 1988 for driving a stolen vehicle under the name Gerry Mockerman, and even earlier in 1985 for drunk driving and child endangerment. He later abandoned that child, whom he had pretended to father and called Lisa, in a trailer park.After his stint in the 1990s, Rasmussen stayed off authorities radar for a little over a decade. By 2001, Rasmussen was working odd jobs in California under yet another alias, Lawrence Vanner. He had an unofficial backyard marriage ceremony to Eunsoon Jun in Richmond that same year, though no marriage certificates were ever filed. A year later, Juns body was found dismembered and buried in her basement. Curiously, against the advice of his attorneys, Vanner pleaded guilty to the murder during his trial. Authorities were able to link him then, using his fingerprints, to the earlier child abandonment case. Testing his DNA, they also determined that the man had not, in fact, been Lisas father and an investigation began to find out who Lisa really was. Lisa sent a sample of her DNA to an ancestry website and learned her mothers name: Denise Beaudin. And Denise only had one daughter, whom she had named Dawn. Beaudin and Dawn, an infant at the time, had gone missing from their home in Manchester, New Hampshire just after Thanksgiving in 1983. They had been living with a man named Bob Evans. Maricopa County Sheriffs Department, Arizona.A mugshot of Terry Rasmussen from 1973.By 2017, Bob Evans was dead, and investigators believed he had killed Denise Beaudin after they left New Hampshire. There were still many questions to be answered and gaps in Evans history to fill in, but now investigators had a crucial piece of evidence Bob Evans, or Lawrence Vanner, had lived in New Hampshire in the mid-1980s. DNA evidence then connected the man officially identified as Terry Rasmussen to the bodies found in Bear Brook. One of the victims had been his daughter.We believe we have our killer, said New Hampshire Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Strelzin at the time. Now we need to identify and try to find all of his victims.The Amateur Sleuths Who Solved The Bear Brook MurdersIn October 2018, the New Hampshire Public Radio released a podcast called Bear Brook, which explored the bizarre, unique case. Investigators knew who their killer was, but they still had no clue who the victims were. The podcast had reignited interest in the case, and captured the attention of a 34-year-old librarian from Connecticut named Becky Heath. In her free time, Heath began scouring the internet for any clues she could find.I got a little crazy with it, she said. I would go to work and Id come home and I would just research and research and research.Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesRebekah Becky Heath, the researcher and librarian who obsessively worked to discover the identities of Terry Rasmussens victims.Online, she found a post from someone who mentioned the name Sarah McWaters. The poster claimed to be McWaters half-sister. Replies were filled with other people who also believed they were related to Sarah one member of a family of three who had gone missing sometime in the late 1970s. The family was comprised of Sarah McWaters, an infant, her older sister Marie Elizabeth Vaughn, and their mother Marlyse Honeychurch.Heath continued researching, messaging some of the family members who had been around at the time when another name came up: Terry Rasmussen. Apparently, Honeychurch had been with Rasmussen the last time she was seen.I was like, There is no way there is no way thats a coincidence,' Heath said, This is huge.'At the same time, Barbara Rae-Venter, a genetic genealogist, independently used the victims DNA to identify them in a cutting-edge technique that required using autosomal DNA, which is found inside the cell nucleus.It had previously been thought impossible to recover autosomal DNA from hair strands that were no longer attached to the root, but a forensic lab in California had been working on a new method to reassemble the broken autosomal DNA found in rootless hair. After months of trial and error, Rae-Venter was able to use this method to identify the victims.Heath submitted her tip to authorities in October 2018. The victims were officially named in June 2019.Now, the only question that remains is, who was the middle child, Terry Rasmussens daughter and fourth victim?After reading about the long journey to identify the Chameleon Killers victims, read about the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway. Then, learn about Ivan Milat, Australias most violent serial killer.The post Inside The Horrifying Mystery Of The Bear Brook Murders And The Evidence That Points To The Chameleon Killer appeared first on All That's Interesting.

FacebookBrandi Worley murdered her two children, Tyler and Charlee, in the middle of the night.On November 17, 2016, Jason Worley woke up in the small town of Darlington, Indiana, to the sound of his mother-in-law screaming. To his horror, he discovered that his wife, Brandi Worley, had murdered their two children.Now you cant take my children from me, she allegedly said.The murder of Tyler and Charlee Worley, ages seven and three, came just after Jason had told Brandi that he wanted to file for divorce. But her stoicism ever since has unnerved many, and the judge in her case noted that: Sometimes there is no explanation [for murder]. Darkness is in this world And it penetrates minds and our hearts.Why Jason And Brandi Worley Were DivorcingBefore their marriage went sour, Jason and Brandi Worley had been married for seven years. They were engaged for two years and were married in 2009. Soon afterward, Brandi became pregnant with their first child, but the couple faced challenges when Tyler was born 10 weeks early.At that point, the new parents made a promise to each other to prioritize the well-being and happiness of their children above all else. We always said the children would come first, before each other or our marriage, Jason recalled, according to the Journal & Courier.GoFundMe/Tyler & Charlee Worley FundJason Worley with Tyler and Charlee in an undated photo.Four years after Tyler was born, the couple had another child, a daughter named Charlee. But as time went on, Jason began to suspect that his wife was being unfaithful to him. As Oxygen reports, a Reddit post on October 28, 2016, that appears to have been written by Jason describes how his wife cheated on him. Im [30/m] having a hard time coping with my wife [29/f] having cheated on me with our neighbor [51/m] the post explains. Advice poured in from all corners of the Internet and, in November 2016, Jason told Brandi that he wanted a divorce.She understood why we were getting a divorce, Jason later said.Though PEOPLE confirms that he filed for divorce on Nov. 16, 2016, Jason and Brandi Worley continued to act like everything was normal. That day, they went to a dance program for Charlee and ate dinner together at home. Then Brandi Worley told Jason that she needed to go to Walmart to get pipe cleaners for one of Tylers school projects. But instead of pipe cleaners, Brandi bought a knife.The Murders Of Tyler And Charlee WorleyOn the night of Nov. 16, 2016, Jason spent time playing with the children. Unbeknownst to him, Brandi had hidden her newly purchased knife in Tylers room. He bathed the Tyler and Charlee and got them ready for bed. I told them that I love you and Ill see you in the morning,' he recalled.He never imagined that it would be the last time he would see them alive.GoFundMe/Tyler & Charlee Worley FundCharlee and Tyler were stabbed to death by their mother, Brandi Worley.Just a few hours later, early on the morning of Nov. 17, Brandi Worley woke up Tyler and suggested they have a sleepover in Charlees room. There, she straddled her son and stabbed him multiple times with a combat knife. Charlee briefly awoke during the attack, but Brandi told her that everything was ok. Trusting in her mothers words, Charlee fell back asleep. But once Tyler was dead, Brandi then killed Charlee with the same knife. At some point, she also tried to take her own life by stabbing herself in the neck. Then, Brandi Worley called her horrified mother. She ordered Brandi to call the police and then raced to Brandi and Jasons house.At around 4:35 a.m., Brandi made a chilling call to Montgomery County 911. In a shocking admission, she confessed to stabbing herself and killing her two children. She remained surprisingly composed as she calmly informed the dispatcher about what she had done and revealed that she had also consumed a large amount of Benadryl.I just stabbed myself and I killed my two children, she said.You stabbed yourself and killed your two children? the dispatcher questioned.Mmm-hmm, Worley responded.With slurred speech, she informed the dispatcher that her children were dead were on the floor in her daughters room. Then she revealed her motive. She explained that her husband wanted a divorce and custody of their kids, and she was fearful of losing them, so she resorted to murder. My husband wanted a divorce and wanted to take my kids, Brandi told the dispatcher. I dont want him to have my kids.Police Find A Gruesome Crime Scene At The Worley ResidenceWhen Brandi Worleys mother arrived at the house, she got on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, who told her to check the childrens bedrooms to see if Brandi was telling the truth. She obeyed and, finding the children, became hysterical, crying: my babies and I dont know, I just dont know.The piercing screams of terror from Brandis mother awoke Jason. He ran up the stairs and found his mother-in-law crying in the kitchen. Brandi, sitting nearby, callously told him: Now you cant take the kids from me.Police quickly responded to the house and took Jason outside, where he heard the horrible truth from the crackling of one of their radios: Two deceased children in the house. Inside, Brandi told paramedics that she had tried to die by suicide but she had somehow screwed that up and that she didnt want [the children] to live without [her].FacebookBrandi Worley murdered her children in November 2016, and will spend the rest of her life in prison.According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Brandi was taken to the hospital to treat her self-inflicted wounds. During her interaction with law enforcement and medical professionals, she seemed matter-of-fact and not remorseful.Brandi Worley was charged with two counts of murder. But as time went on, her matter-of-fact demeanor didnt change.Brandi Worley Pleads Guilty To Two Counts Of MurderAt Brandi Worleys trial, she plead guilty to murdering her children. Throughout the legal process, Brandi exhibited a complete lack of regret for the heartbreaking crimes she committed. Brandi received a diagnosis of depression, a condition that appears to have drained her of all emotions. Mark Inman, her attorney, explains that this emotional detachment has become her way of coping with the challenges she faces. The gravity of her actions, and the toll on her mental well-being, left her disconnected from the tragedy that she caused.Montgomery County Sheriffs OfficeBrandi Worley was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 120 years in prison.Brandi Worley was found guilty of murder and handed separate sentences for the deaths of each of her children. She was then sentenced to 55 years for the murder of her son and 65 years for the killing of her daughter 120 years in total. These sentences will be served consecutively, effectively imprisoning Brandi for life.For Jason Worley, nothing will ever ease the pain of losing his children. But he seems thankful that Brandi will spend the rest of her life behind bars. All I care is to never see her again, he said. Out of sight and out of mind.After reading about the tragic case of Brandi Worley, read about the woman who grilled her daughter alive. Then, learn about the 28 children killed in the Atlanta Child Murders..The post The Horrifying Story Of Brandi Worley, The Indiana Mother Who Stabbed Her Two Children Because Her Husband Asked For A Divorce appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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All startups accepted into YC will soon have the option to receive their seed checks via stablecoins.