10 Mysterious Times People Faked Their Own Deaths

10 Creepy or Mysterious Times Someone Faked Their Own Deaths

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at people who faked their deaths under particularly bizarre, as well as unknown, circumstances and motivations.

Clayton Daniels (2004)

You can count on the support of small-town neighbors in the wake of tragedy. Clayton and Molly Daniels sure did. After the formers car was found burned with an unrecognizable body inside, the widow received $110,000 in life insurance. She got additional assistance from friends in Burnett County, Texas. Well, it wasn't long before Molly took an eerily familiar-looking boyfriend named Jake. It was actually Clayton, who was in financial and legal troubles after violating the terms of his probation for sexual assault. He and Molly eventually confessed to faking his death with the exhumed body of Charlotte Davis. The Danielses were sentenced to decades behind bars for their unsettling, never mind poorly planned scheme.

Lord Lucan (1974)

There are many questions surrounding John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, including whether he is still alive. Death certainly befell his estate on the 7th of November, 1974. The family nanny Sandra Rivett was murdered, with Lady Lucan claiming that her husband admitted to the act before attacking her. The suspect left behind letters disputing this scenario as he disappeared the following morning. His car was later found abandoned with a note suggesting Lucans intent to take his own life. However, the investigation found no evidence of his death. Lucan was later convicted of homicide in absentia, and legally declared dead in 1999. Whatever really became of the already disgraced British aristocrat, his legacy is tied to at least one terrible tragedy.

David Baerten (2023)

TikTok stunts often get a bit carried away. At least nobody was harmed in the most infamous prank by Belgian influencer David Baerten, AKA Ragnar le Fou. Well, not physically harmed anyway. In 2023, Baertens wife and kids shared heartbreaking tributes to his life and arranged a funeral. The solemn event was ultimately disrupted by Barten himself and a camera crew showing up in a helicopter. The stunt became such a sensation that a helicopter became a signature of Baertens brand. It was initially just meant to put his friends and loved ones feelings for him into perspective. Despite the iconic imagery of Baerten embracing relieved mourners, this disturbing deception probably didn't elevate most peoples opinion of him.

Timothy Dexter (1793)

A great businessman always considers his public image and ultimate legacy, though not usually like Lord Timothy Dexter did. What the 18th century American entrepreneur lacked in education was made up for with eccentric enterprises. This included arranging his own wake in 1793, just to see how many people would show up. Some 3,000 mourners were shocked when the supposed deceased crashed the event. Even more shocking was when he attacked his wife for not crying over his death. We can assume that fewer people attended Dexters legitimate funeral 13 years after this scandal. But as infamous as he was in life, his luck in business isn't what he's best-known for in two deaths.

Arkady Babchenko (2018)

Russian military vet and war correspondent Arkady Babchenko became notorious for criticizing his nations government in the 2010s. A year after moving to Kyiv to work for ATR, he was reportedly shot dead outside of his home. Russian intelligence quickly denied accusations of involvement, when Babchenko appeared at a press conference the next day. It turns out that he and the Security Service of Ukraine staged his death to weed out an alleged conspiracy to actually assassinate the journalist. This bizarre sting operation and even its results are still shrouded in mystery, to say nothing of controversy. In 2019, Babchenko relocated to Israel, where he continues to openly condemn the actions of the Kremlin.

John Darwin (2002)

It was a plot that could only work in a soap opera. In 2002, British couple John and Anne Darwin were in serious debt when the former supposedly drowned in a canoeing accident. The insurance company paid out a life-changing £250,000. Five years later, John entered a London police station claiming to have been missing with amnesia. The scheme promptly fell apart when a photograph revealed that the Darwins were looking to buy property in Panama. They were sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to compensate the insurance company. They also got divorced and were disowned by their children, who were not in on the scam. There are consequences to being greedy, particularly when elaborating a wild scheme.

Aubrey Lee Price (2012)

Baptist preacher and banker Aubrey Lee Price spent years cultivating trust in the community of Lyons, Georgia. After a failed Ponzi scheme cost his bank more than $70 million, he distributed letters admitting to swindling clients and a plan to take his own life. But the really strange story came to light when Lee was found alive 18 months later. While hiding out in Florida, he sold drugs, made fake IDs, and guarded sex workers. Not such a holy man after all, the pastor of many collars returned to Georgia in 2014 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He was also ordered to pay $51 million to his victims.

Shahraban K (2022)

Her identity unpublished by order of the German court, Shahraban K was desperate to escape her troubled family and marriage. But there is no justification for the Iraqi-German beauty bloggers plan to fake her death. She and a male associate tracked down and murdered Khadidja O., just because she resembled Shahraban. It was not long before authorities identified the victim and arrested her killers. Shahraban was ultimately sentenced to life in prison for homicide, as well as for attempting to hire a hitman to kill her brother-in-law. She may not have gotten far with her terrible death fraud scheme, but the very real doppelgänger murder was a huge media event.

Aleister Crowley (1930)

There seems to be no end to creepy stories with libertine occultist Aleister Crowley, even surrounding his posthumous influence. The self-proclaimed prophet even rose from the dead beforehand more-or-less. During a trip to Lisbon in 1930, he disappeared in the chasm Boca do Inferno, translated to English as Mouth of Hell. Fernando Pessoa claimed to be the witness to his fellow writers demise. Three weeks later, Crowley turned up at his own art exhibition in Berlin. It may not have been his most imaginative magic trick, but it might be his most notorious. Such eccentric exploits made Crowley an unlikely cult figure for generations to follow his actual death in 1947.

Irfan Iffy Khan (2021)

Not to be mistaken for the late, great actor, social media influencer Irfan Khan did have his cult fanbase. Then he went properly viral in the most disturbing way, with a skit in which he steps in front of a train after being rejected by a woman. The appropriately nicknamed Iffy Khan briefly embraced the rumors that this graphic act was unstimulated. After revealing that he was alive and deleting the video, he was arrested. Among the charges were endangerment of himself and others, and incitement of self-harm. While that was definitely not Khans intention, his method for exposure was not effective in the manner he anticipated. After all, faking one's death is a disturbing stunt under any circumstance.

What are some other death frauds whose revelation only raised more questions? Lets discuss them in the comments.