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Phantom Barber of Pascagoula
In 1942, someone broke into homes in Pascagoula and cut sleeping people's hair. Ten victims, no theft, no violence—just snipped hair. A man was convicted but maintained innocence. The real Phantom Barber may never have been caught.
June 1942
Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA
10+ witnesses
The Phantom Barber was one of America’s strangest criminals.
The Attacks
June 1942:
- Homes broken into
- People sleeping
- Hair cut off
- Nothing stolen
- No other harm
The Victims
Ten people targeted:
- Various ages
- Both genders
- While sleeping
- Hair taken
- Pure terror
The Panic
Community response:
- Armed guards
- Curfews imposed
- Mass fear
- National news
- FBI called
The Arrest
William Dolan:
- Local chemist
- Convicted
- Maintained innocence
- Confessed under pressure
- Life sentence
The Doubts
Questions remain:
- Wrong man?
- Attacks continued briefly
- Motive unclear
- Forced confession?
- Mystery persists
The Theory
What it might have been:
- Hair fetish
- Power/control
- Wartime stress
- Multiple perpetrators
- Never known