Hillwood History

A Hag is a supernatural being found in many mythologies and folklore. Although many Hags are neutral rather than evil, they have become heavily associated with witchcraft and evil, to the point the two are often interchangeable (much like how Ogres and Giants have become somewhat merged in modern times).

Traditionally, a Hag was seen as a spirit or goddess in the form of a grotesque and hideous old woman, and often had power over the elements or magic. Thus, hags gained fear and respect in equal lengths by the superstitious, who would try to either appease the more benevolent of these spirits or ward off the more malicious.

The Hillwood Hag legend started in the 80's after a series of gruesome murders in the small town with a very similar modus operandi. All victims were killed in the woods by a knife, and both kidney's were found removed. The local's haven't been too willing to share details of the murders, but from articles I managed to find at the library from the time, I have found the following details.

First Article:

The first murder was a local lady found dumped out in the woods after being declared missing by her family. The missing organs prompted investigators to investigate the possibility of black market trading .

Second Article:

Following the second murder, the police started investigating the crime as possibly the start of a serial killer or potentially a once off murder using the same modus operandi as a cover. The police investigated the husband of the deceased (Michael Page) but he was eventually cleared of all charges as he had a solid alibi and concrete proof of his whereabout the evening of his wife's murder and that of Rene Hill. This however, prompted the investigators to explore other leads ultimately leading to some stronger suspects.

Third Article:

By the time the third victim was discovered, the Legend was already well established in the Town. There were numerous sightings of an old lady wandering in the woods, as well as claw marks on trees and other structures found in the woods. The murder prompted police to seek external assistance as it was believed there was in fact a serial killer in the town.

Investigators raised some suspicion into the husband - Klaus Muller - of the hikers that found the body, who had some questionable alibi the day before the body was discovered. Ultimately he too was cleared from the murders.

Fourth Article:

On 13th October,1983 the final victim was discovered in the Hillwood forest. At this point in the investigation police believed the murderer to be a local woman (with suspected mental health disorders) Karina Reed. She was last seen fleeing into the woods where police searched for 2 weeks before calling off the search due to bad weather conditions. Although no concrete evidence was ever raised against Karina, her sudden disappearance lead investigators to believe she was in fact responsible.

Following Karina's disappearance, no further murders have been reported, supporting the case for her guilt as the so called "Hillwood Hag". It is believed that she most likely fled to a nearby town or died out in the woods herself. Police struggled to search the area completely due to the dense population of trees as well as legitimate and illegitimate cabins that are scattered throughout the forest.

Investigators questioned a local man - Keith Kreager - who was alleged to have had a relationship with Karina, however, he was not a person of interest in the investigation. The cases were closed cold the following year (1984) and have remain closed and unsolved ever since.

Sightings of a lady or "Hag" in the Hillwood forest have persisted for decades, even up until today. No video or photographic evidence has been recorded prompting locals to believe the murders, and disappearance of Karina were in fact caused by a Supernatural being in the woods.