im so glad youre continuing some of your old series instead of just letting them fade away. theyre easily some of the most engaging anthologies on youtube and im glad youre still making them
Very few people remember this buy he had a series about celebrities that were in crazy situations before they were famous and they became famous in an ironic way in relation to that situation. He only did a couple of those but they were amazing
Only a few minutes in, but already I will say, no matter how this story ends, it's really nice that Akbar had people looking for him after only 24hrs. An adult who lives alone without a scheduled job could go missing for ages before being noticed usually.
He was a father, his wife and kids were out of town. It's actually really unfortunate cause if they were home he would've left earlier, and he wouldn't have been there. Not that its the family's fault mind you, just unfortunate
I feel bad for Miche's dad. He lost his child and his wife for 10 yrs. I am glad that her biological parents are ok with her having a relationship with the other ones. Grief is a crazy, horrible experience.
@@hayden-lo1gdI think you responded to the wrong comment, Op was saying her dad as in the husband of the woman who kidnapped her, the dad who raised her not her biological father. So he technically did lose his daughter and his wife went to prison for 10 years.
@@anangrytexan2244tbf, dude shouldn't have put his bias up for all to see, but shitty parents do exist, so to state that he just doesn't have respect for his is rude. I don't have respect for mine either and there's a good reason for that. But, he also makes a good point- it wouldn't have mattered the amount of respect or what her "parents" wanted, if she wanted to forge a relationship w her biological family, that was her right. 🤷♀️
Its a miracle that they ended up attended the same school in the first place despite the seperation. Thats Gods work right there, that was probably the only way Miche/Zephany was ever going to meet Cassidy.
As a South African who followed the kidnapped Nurse Baby story as it was revealed and the outcome, you have definitely done it justice. Also, as an update, Miche has just gotten married. Her bio parents divorced after the abduction but got remarried in 2020.
I remember this story! I remember reading the newspaper once and seeing a picture of her family celebrating her birthday, hoping they'd find her one day
I don’t think Mr.Ballen has any idea about how iconic he’s made this 3 disturbing photos series. Future creators will emulate this guy for years to come.
I always tell myself "that could never happen to me, I'm safe where i am" but I realize that the people in these stories thought the EXACT same thing, which makes the stories even creepier and sadder
I had an instructor a few years ago that would always say, "These thing's don't happen to other people, they happen to people" meaning it can happen to anyone.
it can happen to anyone i was once sitting under a tree when i was a kid and a cobra was next to me, thank God i was able to see it fast and ran away from it
This is the first time I was impatient with waiting for the conclusion of the third story! "C'mon, I'm dying to know what's happening here!" You are SO GOOD at telling these stories!
@@MrBallen I agree with OP! Your podcast is also great, but it's not the same as seeing you, while you talk with your hands (I do that, too). You are a fantastic storyteller & I really want to thank you for all that you do! 🥰
Same here. It rings a bell but couldnt remember the story. I was soo tempted to just check in Google but dint wanna ruin the thrill😁 nice job Mr Ballen
me too! When he presented the title "familiar face" I got a chilling feeling. never could I imagine it was that! brought me to some tears quite frankly =(
And luckily she didn't harm the mom either in order to kidnap the newborn, as seems to be popular nowadays 😓💔. She obviously had some type of mental issues, probably from losing her own baby but she didn't completely lose her empathy, at least
Do you? You hear so many stories of kidnapped kids raised by abusers? Name one case where a baby was kidnapped and abused yet kept alive and seemingly made it all the way through school. People who abuse those they kidnapped are kidnapping to have someone to abuse. People grief stricken or who go through phantom pregnancies are not proven to be anymore abusive to the baby they kidnap than any other guardian. If anything quite the contrary. People who commit this crime will most likely do whatever it takes to maintain a low profile. Getting all crazy and having the neighbors call the cops or sending the kid to school with bruises is what they will try to avoid at all cost. You have to remember that in these cases the rest of their families are unwittingly a part of their crime. They truly believe that is their grandkid. Just like the poor bastard in this story truly thought that was his daughter. No dad worth a shit is going to let anyone hurt their kid.
All the stories I’ve heard of infants being stolen from hospitals, they were raised really well by the kidnapper, often given a better life than they would’ve had with the birth parents lol
I feel so bad for the dad who had no idea Miche wasn't his. He no doubt loved her with all his heart. I have 3 adopted kids, all from different pairs of bio parents, but even though they aren't my blood, they're my kids. I'd be devastated to lose any one of them at 17
I feel so bad for her dad. He is just as much a victim as Miche and her bio parents. That would be really hard information to handle and deal with, even at 30, I don't know what I would do of I found out my parents aren't really my parents. I can imagine Miche feels stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Like, if the dad was proved to be innocent without any reasonable doubt, then I think he should have the rights that a parent has in regards to Miche. For all he knows (if he wasn't involved) he was a dad for 17 years until the police took his kid away. Just let him visit and stuff, f'd up situation but let's not drive this man to at least a miserable life and at most mental illness and who knows what else.. Now the kidnapper should have gotten a way bigger jail sentence and if I were Miche I would not have forgotten her, she ruined so many people's lives, but I guess love is blind and it applies here too.
@@HouseCat19 I was hoping the justice system would have shown if he was guilty or not. I mean they already had a trial for the kidnapper and the case was huge in the media back in the day. If there was an ounce of suspicion for the non biological father, there is no way we wouldn't know it by now.
I wonder if Cassidy ever told her friend that she had a sister who was kidnapped at birth. They probably even joked that they were long lost sisters, and then it turned out it was true.
Poor Paula. Got off work to ride home with her son, only to lose her life. She pretty much sacrificed herself to save her son. I can't imagine how he must feel knowing his mom died helping him recover his bike from thieves; the survival guilt must be extreme. Also that story about the Python is horrific. He was probably still alive when the snake started eating him, but was unable to do anything. Pure nightmare fuel. I think i remember reading about that 3rd story in the news. About an African hospital that kidnapped and gave kids to different parents.
pretty sure python kill before they eat. it is in their best interest to make sure their prey is completely still before attempting the lengthy eating process. betting on the prey being paralyzed instead of outright killed is probably, over the course of thousands of years, going to get more than a few pythons killed. only a few animals will actively start consuming a still living meal and i believe omnivores encompass most of them. remember predators are still just animals that didn't die and were able to pass on their dominant traits. a predator that allows prey to be alive while eating is a predator that is going to have eyes poked out or other needless risks that would simply be stamped out over the course of millions of years of evolution. exceptions do exist tho. a grizzly bear, for example, will tear into a still living person without making the kill
3rd story, what you read is in a completely different African country. That was allegedly a nurse in Zambia. This one, the child was kidnapped by a civilian/grieving mother in South Africa.
I had already heard the last story before, but the way Mr. Ballen tells it is on a whole other level. He could tell you a story about paint drying and you would be at the edge of your seat the whole time.
This video was WILD from start to finish. That snake photo is shocking. That second story is absolutely heartbreaking, and I don't even know what to make of the third story. I'm so glad that Miche was treated well and raised lovingly, and I'm glad her bio parents got closure, as well as Miche's "fake" father continuing to be involved in her life. That story turned out about as well as you could hope for a situation like that.
I’m not sure I fully believe the snake story. It’s nearly impossible for a snake to ingest an adult human. Our shoulders are shaped in a way where they can’t expand their jowels enough to get passed them. And if they ingest feet first, which is rare but possible, they would have to get both feet in the mouth at the same time. Which is possible for smaller animals, but not so much humans. I believe the snake story was a hoax, and the body wasn’t actually really ingested, and the photo was staged. I could be wrong, but a 20 foot retic isn’t even that big of a snake, they’re known to get much bigger. Idk. We’ll never truly know for sure, but I believe it was a hoax and everyone believed it
@@lakraknjeprak2536I didn't catch the species, but I know Burmese pythons are definitely one of the apex predators in that area. And they're not picky about what they eat. I have a 5 foot long reticulated python and while she's adorable and derpy, her feeding response is not. Even her trying to get comfortable (i.e wrapping herself around or climbing up my extremities) when I'm holding her can be a little stressful. And if she coils herself around anything, I have to let her detach from it on her own otherwise whatever she's holding onto is coming with us. 🙄
@@chzybean they cross continent or something? wtf dude? last time i know, palm plantation in the major island of indonesia is separated from burma by the ocean. i'm assuming it's located in borneo island, kalimantan province. since that's where people grow palm trees.
@@lakraknjeprak2536 Very good question. I did some googling to make sure I wasn't inadvertently talking rubbish and yep. They are found all across Asia and in Indonesia. If you really want to learn about something that sounds like it came out of a science fiction movie look up "Burmese pythons in the everglades" and enjoy being horrified. They've become such a nuisance down there that it's open season on hunting them all year round. They even have special Burmese pythons called "sentinel snakes" that are used by different programs to lead the researchers and hunters to egg clutches and pregnant females. Burmese pythons can lay 50-100 eggs per clutch and they've also been interbreeding with native rock pythons, producing what's called "hybrid vigor," which is an animal with all the best attributes and adaptability of both parents. They've decimated the wildlife population and upset the ecosystem greatly. And the sad part is that it's pretty well agreed upon that it started with Burmese pythons being released into the everglades by incompetent reptile owners who weren't prepared to accommodate a snake that grows upwards of 15 feet regularly.
that story about the girl finding out her best friend was her sister breaks my heart. her non-biological dad possibly having no idea and then losing his daughter and finding out his wife stole someone's baby. heartbreaking. the friend being her sister tho. it's beautiful.
@_d98224 It's just a word, my guy, just a word. I know the story. But I don't know anyone in the story. So possibly is just saying I don't know. regardless of what someone says, It doesn't always mean it's the truth. Also, I wrote this comment 3 months ago I don't know where my mind was.. I don't know why I wrote possibly. I'm just responding to your comment with what I think may possibly be why I wrote it.
@@anonymitya9535 nah, I ain't talking about Mr Ballen showing the photos covered. I'm talking about the police who took the mug shots and covered the eyes of these low lifes.
@@CarmenRodriguez-gq5gq I think she was referring to the social workers. The way that the story was going it sounded like it was going to end with the social workers not being legit social workers and kidnapped her and then she was never seen again or sometime later they find human remains that would be the girl.
@@holy8782 I just think its really ignorant to say the case had no "casualties" when the person involved was a victim of child abduction. I'm guessing the bar is just low for OP.
I can't imagine how Miche's real parents felt knowing she was going to keep in contact with the woman who devastated their lives. It would take great strength and love for their daughter to deal with something like that.
I don't know. I think it would be understandable to an extent. They didn't mistreat her and they loved her. She did it out of grief and hid it for many years. What she did was very wrong, but her parents would understand that it is a difficult dynamic.
Of course she stayed in contact with the ppl who are parents to her! That's totally normal. Just bc someone tells you "that woman over there is your mom" doesn't do anything, especially at that age. I know this bc I was delivered back to biological parents at 18 months, but they remained strangers to me. I had bonded with the woman who had been taken care of me.
So if you found out you where kidnapped as a baby and should now live with your bio parrents, then you would never talk to the only ones you called parrents your whole life? I think its more strange for her to now live with her bio parrents, and call them parrents.
These other comments...their ability to comprehend is quite bad. I agree with what @mamapoch1915 is saying. The real parents got a huge heart because I would hate those kidnappers and wish all kinds of bad things. But they try to understand miche's feelings about it.
@@albgardis We’re not talking about someone being adopted. We’re talking about someone being kidnapped! How is that natural? I would be livid with my “parents”, regardless of how good they had treated me if I found out they had KIDNAPPED me. Also, I didn’t say anything about the child, I was referring to the parents who had their child ripped away from them. How you think that’s normal is beyond me.
Mr Ballen is honestly one of the best storytellers. He can make 30 minutes feel like 10 with his stories. Thank you Mr. Ballen for giving us amazing stories while we work, lounge, or whatever else we may be doing :)
@@Praisethemooon most of us hate this spam too, there should be a dedicated worship comment where people can post replies. lots of the worship comments are adult link spam
I recognised the first story very quickly because it was such an unusual story for a python to predate a person like that. There’s literally a handful of cases in recorded history. Dude was phenomenally unlucky.
I missed this series! I was actually born in Cape Town not long after Miche was kidnapped, literally a week later, in the same hospital (Groote Schuur Hospital). It was a huge case in CT at the time. Apparently, my parents were so paranoid while I was in the hospital that they rarely left me alone, to the point that they got to know all the baby nurses so that they could keep a better eye on me. Unfortunately, baby kidnappings like this aren’t that uncommon. Security in most of our hospitals are lax, and with understaffed nurses and doctors, it can be easy for someone disguised as a nurse to slip in and out unnoticed. I’m just glad that the family was reunited, and at least in Miche’s case, it seemed like Lavona was just so grief stricken that she wanted a baby no matter the cost, and she was raised in a happy environment and not abused like most kidnapped children. Still a terrible situation either way. I do also feel bad for Cassidy for having to keep this secret, and for Michael if he didn’t know what his wife did from the start.
That last story was absolutely wild but so believable to me. I recently got to know two sisters that were raised completely separated from me our whole lives and it was the strangest thing... I'm someone who doesn't really take to anyone, a loner by nature largely distrusting of others.. and there was no denying this odd familiarity and sense of kinship. I liked/loved them immediately and they felt the same. I've never experienced anything like it and it makes complete sense to me these two sisters would feel instantly connected meeting for the first time. It's a mysterious world. 🤔😎❤️
There's something so incredible about the Nurse daughter's friendship. It's as if their sibling connection was so strong it pulled them together in spite of the abduction and separation, and they found each other again.
Interestingly, this sort of thing happens a lot more than you would think. Cases where children have been separated at birth, but end up finding each other later in life. It's a strange phenomena for it to occur so frequently.
I feel bad for the man who adopted the child as his daughter. It wasn't his fault that his wife committed a crime and yet he got a raw deal from life. Life is both unfair and cruel.
@@Veronica.A.just finished listening and feel the exact same way. Fathering and bringing up a child all the way into her teens to then not just lose your wife who you love but finding out your daughter isn't yours (if he truly never got told from his wife) must be soul destroying. It's the ultimate high for the biological parents and ultimate low for that man and no doubt his wife because I'm sure you ain't thinking about been caught a decade+ later, then spend a decade in a Brazilian jail which to my knowledge are extremely dangerous and violent (in comparison too most jails).
@@Veronica.A. my bad 😂😂 for some reason I thought this happened in sao Paulo in Brazil, im a few stories in so just got my wires crossed. Point still stands though maybe not as dangerous as the Brazilian jails they not far off. Severely run down, underfinanced, severely overcrowded and known for guards regularly attacking inmates.
Im from Cape Town and happy to report that Miche has reconciled with her biological parents and their relationship has been restored. She has nothing to do with Levon whom kidnapped her anymore, but she still has Michael in her life in fact "both her fathers" walked her down the aisle when she got married this year!!❤
The story about Miche was both sad and happy. It's sad to find out that the people you loved and thought were your parents were not and that you were kidnapped at birth. BUT, at least they raised her well and were good parents to her and how cool is it that her best friend turned out to be her sister??? Also good that she kept relationship with the people who raised her.
I agree totally, she was raised very well. Why wouldn’t she want to see her ‘fake’ parents, she was looked after brilliantly. Besides, her kidnapped mother went to prison for 10 years.
@@Mu5096rdghand good. The lady deserves even more years of prison time. The years she held her unsuspecting non daughter captive plus the years she held her from her family. Should’ve gotten double for being such a selfish a hole. Have a miscarriage? Don’t lie to your husband and be a loser human being. How about having some integrity, tell the truth and adopt? But nope. Fat lady had to deceive her own husband and her fake child. What a gross human being. She doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as good people. If you defend her and you have a kid- I bet you’d feel differently if someone snatched your baby from the hospital and you wouldn’t be so forgiving. Am I right? If you say no, you’re either not a parent, or you’re a bad parent or you have ZERO SOUL.
I really appreciate what you do for RUclips and everyone who watches your videos. I have been having a very hard time coming to terms with losing just about everything I had built for myself in life and have been in a deep despair for a very long time. Your videos help me in dealing with something that I am not strong enough to take on. Thank you MrBallen.
Used to be, I thought such comments were silly… until I too went through a tragic event & found comfort & normalcy in watching Mr.Ballens videos Happy that you found solace in a during a difficult time ❤💯
So Cassidy was told about Micha being her biological sister but authorities asked her not to reveal this to anyone. Terrible way to deal with this, expecting a 14 year old to bear this burden. Many 14 year olds aren't good at keeping secrets. Poor Cassidy must have been so stressed. I think only the closest investigators and social workers should have known before 100% confirmation and then both sisters told at the same time.
Yes they could have handled it better but I disagree with you about the 14yr old. You’re merely making an assumption about 14yr olds, and projecting how it would have burdened you maybe as a teen, but many many 14yr olds are strong mentally and emotionally.
@@robiulahmed You make a very good point. Cassidy was told by her parents and police did ask her not to say anything to Micha. I think if Cassidy's parents had consulted authorities first advice would've been to say nothing until confirmation..
@@courtneyderouen- I mean….all she said was that “many 14 year olds aren’t good at keeping secrets.” I really don’t think she’s projecting. And it *IS* terrible to expect a 14 year old to shoulder that kind of burden. It’s terrible to expect *ANYONE* to learn that their best friend is their sister who was kidnapped from the hospital at 3 days old, but then to just act like everything is normal & to continue to keep it a secret from her - indefinitely - while they try to find & make a case against the only mother she’s ever known. This news was going to completely devastate her best friend, who is actually her sister, and SHE had to know what was coming & just keep it from her. I’m 43 & a medical doctor, and that scenario would crush me. It’s not about how strong, or weak, a person is…I can break a stranger’s sternum & slide my hand into their open thoracic cavity to massage their heart after they flatline without breaking a sweat, & administer nasogastric tube lavage on a 416 pound patient for gastrointestinal decontamination in search of a GI bleed….but don’t ask me to know that my sister’s world is about to be turned upside down, and not do or say anything to protect her….just pretend I don’t know anything. On top of that, this kid had to process her own feelings & emotions about the situation. There’s a reason we can’t drive a car until 16, and we need our parent’s consent for most things until we’re 18….and we can’t drink booze until we’re 21. Kids don’t have the capacity to handle many adult situations & events. Our brains continue to develop into our early 20’s…one of the last parts to develop is the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for planning complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behavior. I’m sure there are plenty of 14 year olds who could handle the kind of situation this girl was put in…but scientifically & medically speaking, it’s far more likely that an average 14 year old would have trouble processing & navigating this kind of situation, especially if they weren’t allowed to talk about it. If we’re being honest, your comment sounded a lot more like someone who is projecting, than the OP’s comment did. She’s not wrong. And she wasn’t rude about it. You were kind of rude, though.
This is a little off topic, but as a South African, it's so cool to hear Mr Ballen covering stories from South Africa (the Miché story).🤭 I love your channel, Mr Ballen..!!! You're awesome..!!!
From Cape Town here, this was a major social service case when it happened, made all the local news headlines and the community was so outraged at this that under correction, I believe they moved. Sad part is baby theft in some hospitals is not uncommon unfortunately, but this was one of the stories where there was a happy ending. Thanks for covering this, MrBallen
Did the community not give them privacy? I’m confused why the community outrage would force that poor family to move. It seems sickening that the situation would have been made worse because of that. Maybe I’m misunderstanding.
@@BoringTroublemakerhe girl went back to her not real dad once she became old enough to. So I'm guessing the community wasn't buying that he didn't know and that is why they moved. I think that is what this person is talking about. Not the victim family.
Umm what are you smoking? The fans have been asking for longer videos but have you asked why? It's because his Amazon podcasts are like almost a hour long each. He literally skimps out on his videos some being 15 minutes long then doing a hour long podcast on something that would have been awesome to see actual photos/videos. But no because he wants money so we see things that are short stories meanwhile saving only juicy stories for podcast that you have to pay for. And I'm not saying he doesn't deserve more money but I feel like we deserve to be told it better than podcast where we can't even experience the evidence if we are paying money for it. That was the whole magic of this. What made Mr ballen stand out from the rest is that his stories were backed but also shown by evidence
@@DankMilkGamerzEveryone needs to make a living. Tell me, would you work for free? Be happy there's a platform for people to watch *free* content and to leave comments about how unhappy it makes you that Mr. B chooses to do a side gig for $$.
@@atmywhitsonlol he wasn’t posting on RUclips for free. He was still making money and the whole reason he got big and anyone even knows who he is…RUclips!
That is so sad and endearing. She saved her sons life but lost hers. The fact that you can also see her shadow in the picture taking the picture is crazy.
Glad to see the 3 part stories make a return. The last one was both sad and kind of wholesome. Instead of death being associated with it, there was a proper outcome. And while her mom definitely committed a crime, it was somewhat touching to see Miche pretty much forgive her. I suppose that's as happy of an ending as we'll get on MrBallens channel lol.
@@tonyborelli. I'm not some radical feminist.. I'd feel bad for anyone driven to steal a baby because their own one died. Even Miche doesn't blame her. I said she deserves punishment, but 10 yrs in jail doesn't fit the crime. Treatment in a psych hospital seems more beneficial. ✌️
@@lifesajoke6965That's true but what's much stranger/scarier about this story is that when it comes to the constrictor type of snakes, while they may be carnivores they don't generally attempt to attack humans. Unless provoked, Boas, Pythons etc are a lot more likely to just want to get away from any humans that happen upon them. And the fact that this snake not only attacked and consumed this guy, but also seemed to have actively hunted/stalked him leading up to that is not only crazy, but chilling as well.
Thanks for sharing the story about Miche Solomon / Zephany Nurse. If she and Cassidy hadn't been two peas in a pod the truth would never have come to light. There are many victims in this story, but Miche is definitely the one most traumatised imo. I continue to wish her and her young family well. 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
I'd argue her parents here are the people most traumatised because they actually were aware for their whole Lives their daughter had been stole from them as a baby and had to live through that whereas miche only found out later on and in the long run she got 4 parents and found out her best friend was actually her sister, also when her real parents finally got her back as happy as you would be it would also be so devastating to think about all the years you have lost with your daughter growing up without you and her now having some huge attachment forever to the horrible psychopath who you know stole your baby
@coffeelink943 but she wasn't their own. They couldn't have truly loved her because if they did they wouldn't have stolen her. Pure parentsal love isn't selfish. Kidnapping is.
This series, with real photos, along with “Top stories with real audio” are my favorite stories. I love the “Before they were famous,” stories, too. It’s something about seeing or hearing actual correlations, that takes it to an entirely new level. You really have your own unique style, that sets you apart, by a long shot, from the other storytellers, on RUclips. Ever since I first discovered you, after you’d first started out on TT & transitioned over to YT; I knew you’d blow up. Now days, for me at least, MrBallen *_IS_*_ RUclips._ Your unique content, delivery & style alone, should be enough for YT to name this genre after you- “Ballen style stories.” 😂❤
"You really have your own unique style, that sets you apart, by a long shot, from the other storytellers, on RUclips" when reading this aloud there's way too many unnatural pauses due to the commas. "You really have your own unique style that sets you apart (by a long shot) from the other storytellers on youtube" looks better and certainly sounds better when read aloud. I'm not saying this to discredit your incredibly kind comment! Of course everything you said made perfect sense, I'm nitpicking, but after seeing how many commas you used I realized there's a chance English isn't your first language and I'm only mentioning it to help you improve your writing skills. Regardless it was a lovely message and I hope you have a wonderful day
I couldn’t imagine being kidnapped as a child and growing up normally, but it’s even more insane that your real parents are who you saw as your best friends parents😯
that's just insane, in such a big city, the changes of them her being best friend with her own sister 🤯 I'm just glad that her kidnapper (the father didn't know anything) treated her well, it makes this fucked up story just "fucked up" and not tragic.
Right?? It’s not like she was abused so she probably didn’t have any reason to suspect … I did wonder at first why she looked nothing like her “mom” tho
@@hinaynihorvath3926ou seem to have had a really bad experience, but the cryptic comments are a little attention seeking. If you have a story to tell, then spill it. I'm not being very nice and I realize that, but you throwing in these random, cryptic comments while people are making comments that have some meaning is aggravating. And yes, I don't have to read them. But I can have an opinion like anybody else. Maybe I'm just on one tonight. 🙄🙄🙄 And how do your comments relate to this girl being kidnapped? No, kidnapping does NOT happen all the time to adoptive kids. She wasn't even adopted. She was KIDNAPPED!!!! Just wtf point are you trying to make?
I'm so happy Miche and the Nurse family were able to reunite. But, damn, that's gonna be traumatic to come to terms with the knowledge that the parents you know and love are actually your kidnappers. I'm glad that her biological family is well-known to her, so that'll hopefully help ease some of the pain and struggle.
Apparently she couldn’t bond with her biological family and when she was 18 she went back to live with the father she grew up with and wait for “her mother” to get out of jail
The father didn’t know about the kidnapping, Lavona had pretended to be pregnant and go into labour while he was at work….but had actually kidnapped Miche from the hospital when she was born
@@rebeccahicks2194 Yeah, that part truly breaks my heart--that one of the parents was also an innocent victim, who suddenly found out his daughter wasn't his. I'm surprised he stayed with her after she lied to him like that.
The first story and image were shocking as a starter that reminded me too much of how quickly disaster can occur, the second being a deep heartache and thousand-pound weight in my stomach seeing Paula's shadow in the image, and the third was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions trying to figure out what was going to happen. I think what really hits is just how well these stories are delivered with great respect while also being in enough detail to haunt you, as always. Rest in peace, Akbar and Paula. Glad to hear Miche is alive and well. 😭
Thank you John, this is one of my favorite series. Also a good friend of mine that just passed on was a huge fan of yours. He watched every video, and always talked about you. His name was Todd, thanks for providing us with the best stories😢
That last story about the friends that turned out to be sisters was both sad and amazing. Keep up the great work and content you deliver to us mere mortals Mr Ballen you are definitely the best story teller on RUclips in my opinion 🙏
Wow that last story is crazy… the fact that they randomly just happened to attend the same school, and then they ended up becoming very close friends without having any clue that they were sisters. It just goes to show how strong our love & connection is to our siblings. To become so close naturally before knowing they were sisters? That’s so amazing & cool. The odds of them going to the same school, becoming friends when they’re 4 years apart, and then finding out they’re sisters is crazy.
I actually had something like that kind of happen to me. My mom had given up her baby girl before I was born. And we ended up going to the same school our whole lives without ever knowing we were sisters. We even had the same friends. We eventually found out right before I entered high school that we were sisters. And we looked a lot a like, and our friends always mentioned it. She was 3 years older then me. Once I started high school we were inseparable.
As a person who is from Cape Town South Africa I still remember the Zephany Nurse case. Super bizarre and sad. Thankfully Zephany and her biological family are super close now. In the past two years she's been supporting people who are going through the same ordeals.
Before they found Zephany, I actually attended church in Mitchell's Plain with her biological family. Her biological mother sang so beautifully and you could tell that they were dealing with something heavy. When the story broke a few years later, I was so shocked!! God really has blessed them, it's a heartbreaking story.
Last I heard Zephany and her biological parents weren't close at all, barely on speaking terms. Younger sis, Cassidy, blasted her rebellious phase all over the magazines, moved out of her parents' house and moved in with a boyfriend and Zephany decided to keep the name her kidnapper gave her (Miche) and completely disregard the one her bio parents gave her. Maybe that changed?
What happened to Paula was so sad but it's really brave and sweet of her to have sacrificed her life for her son. Miche's story is crazy. I'm glad it had a happy ending though and that nothing negative beyond the actual kidnapping happened to her.
Apparently she couldn’t bond with her biological family and when she turned 18 went back to live with her father she grew up with (he didn’t know about the kidnapping, his wife pretended to be pregnant and give birth but she had actually stolen Miche from the hospital when she was born)
Poor Miche, what a traumatic situation! I don't know if it was worse to be taken away by strangers, or see the woman who loved and raised her locked up in jail. I'm wondering if Miche wished the connection was never discovered, or at least handled in a different way.
What about Miche biological parents you didn't felt sorry for them.. Kidanapping a born child is a crime and the punishment must be taken seriously.. What her mother felt when her baby isn't beside her.. Come on don't see one side of the story..
@@SUNFlower-tt9zv ofc you feel sorry for them, but also, after 17 years of not being able to raise your child, she's basically an independent adult by the time they have their child back. Immediately the parents would be filled with so many emotions and relief that they have their baby back. A comforting closure to nearly two decades of fixing their immense amount of grief and heartbreak. But miche isn't a baby anymore. She wouldn't feel the same about it. She already established a tie to her known parents, that have showered her with unconditional love, breastfed her, provided everything for her, and supported her education and ambitions, that cannot be broken. The same love the parents would feel for their missing child, miche would feel for her kidnappers. And that disconnection is all in all just a tough place for everyone. And miche just wants to start her life by then. Its a financial matter too. I mean parents start from early to raise college funds. What if she now can't go to college because her now biological parents didn't save enough to provide for both daughters. At maybe 8 or below, I can imagine it isn't as bad or confusing to live with a new set of parents since core memories for the child start to be developed around that time and for the parents to accommodate their found child back into their lives But especially by 17, I'd severely miss the mother I've known all my life if I was told my life was a lie. Buuuuut ill say, on the flip side, I'd be thrilled to live with my best friend and basically be adopted by their parents.
@@zeffery101I wouldn't miss a woman I know did something so cruel and unforgivable. You sympathizing waaaaaaay too much with a woman that snuck in, stole a baby and broke the hearts of an entire family. Even though they have her back, she'll never develop the same bond with her bio parents. Can you imagine your child loving the person who destroyed your life?!
Whew! The first story with the boy and python is beyond horrifying. The pictures were very telling, my curious mind appreciates that you posted them. That's a taste of reality at it's creepiest 😨
I miss those "three, four, even five times a week" uploads, but still keeps me on edge. I'm glad you're gettin a bigger platform and spendin time with your family. Thank you & your team!
The last story is really heart-warming when looked at at a certain angle, with a non-judgemental attitude. I feel happy for Mishe that she ended up having more than one pair of parents that care about her.
Looking at every photo of the girls side by side its uncanny how similar they look. No wonder when Cassidy's parents saw the photo they instantly knew that this girl was their daughter. The smile is EXACT. The nose, EXACT. The eyes, and eyebrows are SOO similar. The forehead and hairline, EXACT. It's crazy how fate brought them back together as best friends so that this whole thing could turn out the way it did. Such a crazy turn of events.
she had to have sensed something about her not looking anything like her thief parents. there's multiple times on unsolved mysteries where when the kid starts growing up they can sense those things that *that* something is missing. a wrong parent or being adopted, something.
Man if I were Cassidy I'd be shocked to see someone who looks SO similar to me go to the same school as I😭 so glad she showed the picture to her parents
I love when you do this format broken down into 3 stories. This video reminded me of why I subscribed in the first place. I had already heard about the final case but the personal details that paint a picture and make you visualize what was going on in these people's lives makes it so much more interesting and THAT is the difference between mrballen and other storytellers. I prefer this format because it keeps the listener's attention and when Mrballen only focuses on one story it can be a very drawn out (but appreciated) process that makes the outcome a little less interesting because you have enough time to figure it out before you get to the end- hot take ❤ your content regardless and always wishing you all the success
I don't ever want to get swallowed by a snake! You are a master storyteller. I hope you do more of the disturbing backstories w/photo, they're very interesting.
I’ve never heard of a kidnapping story ending so well. The fact that she was treated so well that she didn’t hate her kidnappers is just mind blowing. Sounds like that lady who kidnapped her would have been such a good mother but the loss of her child caused her to do the unthinkable. I actually feel bad for her that a terrible circumstance turned a great parent into a criminal. Life is truly stranger than fiction. You can’t make this stuff up if you tried.
I can understand her not liking the mother, but imagine the feeling that man felt when he found out his wife had lied to him and he was going to lose his "only daughter." The minute Ballen spoke about the man not being in on the plot, my heart ached for that father. How absolutely terrible he must feel. In one day, he learns his daughter died of a miscarriage, his wife kidnapped this stranger's baby, his wife is now going to jail for 10 years, and on top of all that, his daughter he's raised is leaving the home to live with another family. Everything ripped from that man in one day. Typing this out really makes me happy she's still talking to him, as I don't think I'd be able to continue living if I were him and that wasn't the case.
Yeah, no. You can't be a good mother if you're ever someone who could kidnap someone else. It doesn't matter that she was "kind". horrible person either way.
I actually love your videos so much I watch them almost every night before I go to bed. You tell these stories so good and make it feel like we are actually there it’s amazing, keep it up buddy🤍
This series was what initially sucked me in to the rest of your videos. It’s so nice to see a new episode following your old format, especially after such a long time. Thank you for providing this to us for free, you’re a national treasure!
I've been living in CT for 50+ years and have never heard this story. But I know that when I gave birth 22 years ago, the maternity ward was like a prison, every1 needed identification for coming in and out of the hospital. What an evil deed by the kidnappers. And the children are always caught in the middle, having allegiance to the kidnappers.
#3 was the absolute craziest twist of any of MrBallen's stories!! I had absolutely no idea where that was going to go, I never would've guessed the truth that was to come
I don't know. The was a very big twist but I think the most interesting twist was this one, called "Most F*CKED UP interrogation ever caught on tape (*MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY*)" You should see it if you get a chance.
I always get SO excited when you utter “south africa”! It’s so rare to hear stories from here, and the ones you tell are ones that we’re often unfamiliar with. What a story. Thanks, Mr Ballen :)
You know there was a time I'd roll my eyes at the idea that Two sisters raised apart would have anything in common and somehow find each other and bond over those things in common, but I recently met my half sister for the first time and my god are there so many little things alike between my full sisters and her and me. It's incredible how powerful our genetics are.
@@Channel24377There was a story where in a secret government project , twins were separated ar birth and one child was given to another set of parents. The child ( both of the same gender , usually male) knew nothing. When they ' met ' as young adults , they had the same likes and dislikes , same hobbies , married women who were very similar, had similar pets etc etc. Genes control us a lot more than we think.
So the parents lose their child for 17 years and the kidnapper serves almost half that. How does the kidnapper not at the very least serve 17 years. She should’ve gotten put away for life. The pain and suffering she caused that family is unimaginable
Because the kidnapper didn’t abuse Miche and raised her well. Miche herself is still in contact with who she will always see as her mother. Specially since she obviously loved her a lot. So I doubt Miche herself would want her mother to be thrown in jail for life. Her crime in the end isn’t a violent one.
@@tubularfrog Surprise attack like ambush would made prepared person become unprepared for attack he received, and snake like python are strong enough to strangle it victim it'll hard to retaliate.
As usual the cases and photos are wild!! I’m glad that the people who kidnapped Misha as a baby treated her so well. So often that’s not how kidnapping cases end up. It does seem the only one who knew she was kidnapped was her kidnapper and Mom for the first 17 years of her life. It seems like no she has 2 family’s that love her deeply. I wouldn’t know what to do if someone stole my baby!
I cannot express how excited I get when Mr.Ballen posts his storytelling draws me in and I feel like I’m experiencing it in real time I feel like I know the people he talks about I can only hope once I have kids I can be half as good at storytelling as him I also wanna say thank you for taking time out of your day/week to look up these stories and then figure out how you’re going to tell it it definitely means more to us than you’ll ever know
Hey John, I know that I don't really know you very well but just wanted to say how much your videos mean to me. Young single mum of 2 and am very isolated. I find that your strange, dark and mysterious content delivered in such a friendly and warm story format is a great distraction. Thank you so much for all your videos and for being a friend and a constant in my life.
I can relate. I'm a mom who is also isolated these days after "life happened" and I can barely go anywhere now. People can criticize all they want but I enjoy certain content and I appreciate it greatly as well. Take care my friend.
I started watching Mr Ballen like 2 weeks ago and now his videos are my new comfort source and keeps me sane at work. I also didn't think it was possible to feel sympathy for a like button 😂
I don't know why....but it is very comforting to sit down and have mrballen tell a story. It helps me feel not so alone while I am travelling and away from family. Thank you mr.ballen!!!
Its 4 am here where I live, but I just can't sleep without watching my favorite storyteller telling us strange, dark, mysterious stories delivered in a story format.
Love that your bringing back some of your old series! I miss your missing 411 videos as well. You should make more! We've got loads of missing people in Alaska, who have disappeared seemingly without a trace. Several in Fairbanks who disappeared within weeks of each other back in the summer of 2021, as well as a hunter visitng from Tennessee vanished during a caribou hunt last year. Their stories need to be told, maybe we can get people talking about them again and finally get answers!!
I miss that series so much it was literally my favourite. Now I just rewatch old 411 videos or look for other you tubers coving those stories. It was riveting stuff
The pain her kidnapper was feeling to cause her to do do such a drastic thing is so sad. It doesn’t excuse her actions, but it makes me sad nonetheless. She should have just borne the pain of losing their child with her husband and gone to adopt or try again. This poor child could have been saved so much heartache if the kidnapper woman had just been honest.
That doesn’t make it right . They stole a child from parents and the stress and depression they suffered Al those years , stealing her identity, being raised by strangers that are not blood who commited a horrible crime …… dafuk u mean
@@enriqueaguilar422 Oh, I totally agree! My thought was at least they were good to her, in a horrible situation at least she wasn't fucked up worse, they could have sexually, physically abused her but they didn't. I'm just looking at the silver lining. I'm a "The glass is half full" person. I do not condone kidnapping at all!
I first noticed your videos a few years ago from the 3 photos with disturbing backstories series. I'm very glad these videos are back. These were my favorite out of all your videos:)
@@crystalhamptonhinesraising a black object to someone pointing a gun at you, could’ve contributed to the gunman pulling the trigger. The smart thing to do is let them take the bike.
If you've seen the movie abducted: The Carlina White story. It's so similar to this one. The only difference, Carlina solved her own kidnapping and it was a single mother that took her. However, she did miscarry and dressed up like a nurse as well. Creepy to know this happens so often.
When I had all three of my babies at home, it wasn't AT ALL because I thought this might happen. But it's interesting to think back, now, and be happy my babies couldn't get mixed up with the wrong bracelets, or get stolen at the hospital. So weird that this has happened more than once or twice.
I think your best series is, "places you can not go but people that went there anyway". . They're fascinating and educating as well. Hope for another of those soon. 💖💕
Miche's story is incredibly depressing. After learning the truth, she pretty much grew angry at her biological parents as if they were at fault for what happened and for a few years completely cut contact with them. Only as recently as last year did they actually develop a healthy relationship, as Miche got pregnant off her boyfriend and became a mother of her own.
@@WontSeeReplies I feel sympathy for her not hating her kidnapper as it is obvious she loved her A LOT, and her adoptive father is absolutely fantastic from all of the interviews and available info on the internet. I just feel sad for the biological parents-- it's not as if they willingly gave her away. Being angry at them was the wrong feeling to have, but they appear to have been bonding recently :)
This is called Stockholm syndrome. It is a coping mechanism to a captive or abusive situation. People develop positive feelings toward their captors or abusers over time. It’s basically a defense mechanism, because it is just too difficult to develop and harbor so much hate for someone so long. Even if they captured you. To just automatically love this new biological family and abandon the old would require a tremendous amount of effort, it’s easier to just find a reason to hate the original parents and go back to life as usual. I’m not saying it’s RIGHT, but it IS a self preservation method in this poor girl’s case.
@@Kingx90really don’t think it is Stockholm syndrome as there isn’t no evidence of abuse. I think she just truly love her parents even if what the mother did is wrong.
@@Kingx90 it is not stockholm syndrome. Stockholm syndrome starts with acceptance and rationalization of a bad situation however Miche didn't even know she was in a bad situation. Her love towards the adopted one is pure innocent one not one with twisted stockholm syndrome. Her anger towards the biological parents is probably because she thought they ruined her perfectly fine life by putting parents that she loves into prison. Her anger coming from a teen with pretty fine life is justifiable
Ive tried watching other channels that follow your format, etc. And ive thought "this guy is trying to imitate MrBallen" - some are better than others but none have the same charisma, or level of story telling talent etc. that you have. But most importantly none possess that "something" you have that so easily earns 100% of your viewers trust! You could convince me that UFO's landed somewhere on the Tanzanian coastline last week! Thanks!
Thank GOD you brought this series back!!! These are the videos that got me hooked on your channel and I’m so happy they’re back, my favorite! Great video I can’t believe some of these twists and photos
The last one is just wow!! Incredible!! That had to be extremely hard for mesha but I’m so glad her parents finally reunited with her!!!! And how heartbreaking for the man that had no idea and thought he was her father!!!
im so glad youre continuing some of your old series instead of just letting them fade away. theyre easily some of the most engaging anthologies on youtube and im glad youre still making them
Very few people remember this buy he had a series about celebrities that were in crazy situations before they were famous and they became famous in an ironic way in relation to that situation. He only did a couple of those but they were amazing
I totally agree
My favorite series is top 3 places you shouldn't go to but people did anyways, that's what got me hook with his videos/ podcast
@@brandonayong5823lol I need to find those. Sounds very interesting
@@CurrentMoodCommentary369 It's called top 3 most unbelievable celebrities backstories
Love love love the old school, multiple story format. No filler, just the goods. Solid.
Same!!
Bot
@@WhiskeyNeatynah. People actually enjoy things ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Calm down fanboi.
Stop the “LOOK AT ME” comments.
Yeah these are great, glad to see with all his success he still does these the same
Only a few minutes in, but already I will say, no matter how this story ends, it's really nice that Akbar had people looking for him after only 24hrs. An adult who lives alone without a scheduled job could go missing for ages before being noticed usually.
He was a father, his wife and kids were out of town. It's actually really unfortunate cause if they were home he would've left earlier, and he wouldn't have been there.
Not that its the family's fault mind you, just unfortunate
👏👏
right!!!!! he was just a working man who was doing his best and for him to die that way while working like that. breaks my heart.
yes, what a great community. may Akbar RIP
@@Shebeast3l😊
I feel bad for Miche's dad. He lost his child and his wife for 10 yrs. I am glad that her biological parents are ok with her having a relationship with the other ones. Grief is a crazy, horrible experience.
No Miche is in matric and her friend is in grade 8 so she is actually 18
@@hayden-lo1gdI think you responded to the wrong comment, Op was saying her dad as in the husband of the woman who kidnapped her, the dad who raised her not her biological father. So he technically did lose his daughter and his wife went to prison for 10 years.
At what point did he say the bio parents were okay with it? He didn't. He said Miche chose to keep in touch. Bio parents can't stop her if they wanted
@@Armeka chill dude. Most people that don't have shitty parents will care what their parents think. Sorry you don't have that same respect for yours.
@@anangrytexan2244tbf, dude shouldn't have put his bias up for all to see, but shitty parents do exist, so to state that he just doesn't have respect for his is rude. I don't have respect for mine either and there's a good reason for that. But, he also makes a good point- it wouldn't have mattered the amount of respect or what her "parents" wanted, if she wanted to forge a relationship w her biological family, that was her right. 🤷♀️
I think it’s beautiful that Miche and Cassidy found one another despite being separated.
Ikr! What are the odds😂
It's such an amazing coincidence. Love sisters ❤
@@MiotaLee, sisters will be sisters, homie.
Yeah and that they became best friends, they really looked similar.
Its a miracle that they ended up attended the same school in the first place despite the seperation. Thats Gods work right there, that was probably the only way Miche/Zephany was ever going to meet Cassidy.
As a South African who followed the kidnapped Nurse Baby story as it was revealed and the outcome, you have definitely done it justice. Also, as an update, Miche has just gotten married. Her bio parents divorced after the abduction but got remarried in 2020.
Nog iemand wat sy stories geniet!
I remember this story! I remember reading the newspaper once and seeing a picture of her family celebrating her birthday, hoping they'd find her one day
Who walked her down the aisle?
I recall reading it , in a drum magazine
That’s a amazing ending but a tragic start
I don’t think Mr.Ballen has any idea about how iconic he’s made this 3 disturbing photos series. Future creators will emulate this guy for years to come.
Top 3 photos with DISTURBING backstories | Part 24
I love Mr Ballen, but those photos with disturbing backstories videos have been around for years and years before he started.
@@veggiesarefruits I agree. Rob Gavagan has been doing it for nearly a decade I swear
@@veggiesarefruitsYeah, but NOONE tells them as well as Mr Ballen😂
I don’t think Mr Ballen realises how hot he is 🥰
I always tell myself "that could never happen to me, I'm safe where i am" but I realize that the people in these stories thought the EXACT same thing, which makes the stories even creepier and sadder
Never say “that could never happen to me. “
I had an instructor a few years ago that would always say, "These thing's don't happen to other people, they happen to people" meaning it can happen to anyone.
it can happen to anyone i was once sitting under a tree when i was a kid and a cobra was next to me, thank God i was able to see it fast and ran away from it
that's why i don't go outside
9😅😅😅99😅😅99😅9😅😅❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
This is the first time I was impatient with waiting for the conclusion of the third story! "C'mon, I'm dying to know what's happening here!" You are SO GOOD at telling these stories!
Thank you!!
@@MrBallen I agree with OP! Your podcast is also great, but it's not the same as seeing you, while you talk with your hands (I do that, too). You are a fantastic storyteller & I really want to thank you for all that you do! 🥰
Same here. It rings a bell but couldnt remember the story. I was soo tempted to just check in Google but dint wanna ruin the thrill😁 nice job Mr Ballen
me too! When he presented the title "familiar face" I got a chilling feeling. never could I imagine it was that! brought me to some tears quite frankly =(
Yeah, that was worth waiting for!😮
At least Miche was raised well. You hear so many stories of kidnapped kids who are raised by abusers and con artists.
And luckily she didn't harm the mom either in order to kidnap the newborn, as seems to be popular nowadays 😓💔. She obviously had some type of mental issues, probably from losing her own baby but she didn't completely lose her empathy, at least
@@kims7287yeah I feel like the mother was in denial and driven my grief, felt compelled to kidnap a baby to raise
Do you? You hear so many stories of kidnapped kids raised by abusers? Name one case where a baby was kidnapped and abused yet kept alive and seemingly made it all the way through school. People who abuse those they kidnapped are kidnapping to have someone to abuse. People grief stricken or who go through phantom pregnancies are not proven to be anymore abusive to the baby they kidnap than any other guardian. If anything quite the contrary. People who commit this crime will most likely do whatever it takes to maintain a low profile. Getting all crazy and having the neighbors call the cops or sending the kid to school with bruises is what they will try to avoid at all cost. You have to remember that in these cases the rest of their families are unwittingly a part of their crime. They truly believe that is their grandkid. Just like the poor bastard in this story truly thought that was his daughter. No dad worth a shit is going to let anyone hurt their kid.
@@bradsanders407Damn, why you gotta be so mad?
All the stories I’ve heard of infants being stolen from hospitals, they were raised really well by the kidnapper, often given a better life than they would’ve had with the birth parents lol
I feel so bad for the dad who had no idea Miche wasn't his. He no doubt loved her with all his heart. I have 3 adopted kids, all from different pairs of bio parents, but even though they aren't my blood, they're my kids. I'd be devastated to lose any one of them at 17
I feel so bad for her dad. He is just as much a victim as Miche and her bio parents. That would be really hard information to handle and deal with, even at 30, I don't know what I would do of I found out my parents aren't really my parents. I can imagine Miche feels stuck between a rock and a hard place.
@@Justexisting91yeah, I would still treat them as my parents just like she did
Like, if the dad was proved to be innocent without any reasonable doubt, then I think he should have the rights that a parent has in regards to Miche. For all he knows (if he wasn't involved) he was a dad for 17 years until the police took his kid away. Just let him visit and stuff, f'd up situation but let's not drive this man to at least a miserable life and at most mental illness and who knows what else.. Now the kidnapper should have gotten a way bigger jail sentence and if I were Miche I would not have forgotten her, she ruined so many people's lives, but I guess love is blind and it applies here too.
You don’t know if he did or didn’t know. Nobody ever will.
@@HouseCat19 I was hoping the justice system would have shown if he was guilty or not. I mean they already had a trial for the kidnapper and the case was huge in the media back in the day. If there was an ounce of suspicion for the non biological father, there is no way we wouldn't know it by now.
I wonder if Cassidy ever told her friend that she had a sister who was kidnapped at birth. They probably even joked that they were long lost sisters, and then it turned out it was true.
She probably didn't know until Hermes parents told her after seeing the picture
No she actually did tell her a few days before the whole case broke she told her about her kidnapped sister
Poor Paula. Got off work to ride home with her son, only to lose her life. She pretty much sacrificed herself to save her son. I can't imagine how he must feel knowing his mom died helping him recover his bike from thieves; the survival guilt must be extreme.
Also that story about the Python is horrific. He was probably still alive when the snake started eating him, but was unable to do anything. Pure nightmare fuel.
I think i remember reading about that 3rd story in the news. About an African hospital that kidnapped and gave kids to different parents.
I would be shocked if he was alive & even more if he was conscious.
pretty sure python kill before they eat. it is in their best interest to make sure their prey is completely still before attempting the lengthy eating process. betting on the prey being paralyzed instead of outright killed is probably, over the course of thousands of years, going to get more than a few pythons killed.
only a few animals will actively start consuming a still living meal and i believe omnivores encompass most of them. remember predators are still just animals that didn't die and were able to pass on their dominant traits. a predator that allows prey to be alive while eating is a predator that is going to have eyes poked out or other needless risks that would simply be stamped out over the course of millions of years of evolution. exceptions do exist tho.
a grizzly bear, for example, will tear into a still living person without making the kill
3rd story, what you read is in a completely different African country. That was allegedly a nurse in Zambia. This one, the child was kidnapped by a civilian/grieving mother in South Africa.
Mamma was a hero,, I just wish they would have remembered where they were and that it was extremely risky to try to retrieve the bike
@@margadam6358they did though
I had already heard the last story before, but the way Mr. Ballen tells it is on a whole other level. He could tell you a story about paint drying and you would be at the edge of your seat the whole time.
That would make an amazing April fool's video
Hear that, Mr. B.? A challenge!
You had probably heard the story from Mr Ballen himself because he did indeed tell it a few Months ago.
@@julieoluna8887not necessarily. I first heard this in a documentary about it. There's obviously a lot more to it than Mr Ballen mentions here
@@wolfzmusic9706 What do you mean by saying "Not necessarily?
This video was WILD from start to finish. That snake photo is shocking. That second story is absolutely heartbreaking, and I don't even know what to make of the third story. I'm so glad that Miche was treated well and raised lovingly, and I'm glad her bio parents got closure, as well as Miche's "fake" father continuing to be involved in her life. That story turned out about as well as you could hope for a situation like that.
I’m not sure I fully believe the snake story. It’s nearly impossible for a snake to ingest an adult human. Our shoulders are shaped in a way where they can’t expand their jowels enough to get passed them. And if they ingest feet first, which is rare but possible, they would have to get both feet in the mouth at the same time. Which is possible for smaller animals, but not so much humans. I believe the snake story was a hoax, and the body wasn’t actually really ingested, and the photo was staged. I could be wrong, but a 20 foot retic isn’t even that big of a snake, they’re known to get much bigger. Idk. We’ll never truly know for sure, but I believe it was a hoax and everyone believed it
indonesia was wild. literally. at first i thought it was a demon, cryptid, or mountain lion. but it's way worse, titanoboa😱
@@lakraknjeprak2536I didn't catch the species, but I know Burmese pythons are definitely one of the apex predators in that area. And they're not picky about what they eat. I have a 5 foot long reticulated python and while she's adorable and derpy, her feeding response is not. Even her trying to get comfortable (i.e wrapping herself around or climbing up my extremities) when I'm holding her can be a little stressful. And if she coils herself around anything, I have to let her detach from it on her own otherwise whatever she's holding onto is coming with us. 🙄
@@chzybean they cross continent or something? wtf dude? last time i know, palm plantation in the major island of indonesia is separated from burma by the ocean. i'm assuming it's located in borneo island, kalimantan province. since that's where people grow palm trees.
@@lakraknjeprak2536 Very good question. I did some googling to make sure I wasn't inadvertently talking rubbish and yep. They are found all across Asia and in Indonesia. If you really want to learn about something that sounds like it came out of a science fiction movie look up "Burmese pythons in the everglades" and enjoy being horrified. They've become such a nuisance down there that it's open season on hunting them all year round. They even have special Burmese pythons called "sentinel snakes" that are used by different programs to lead the researchers and hunters to egg clutches and pregnant females. Burmese pythons can lay 50-100 eggs per clutch and they've also been interbreeding with native rock pythons, producing what's called "hybrid vigor," which is an animal with all the best attributes and adaptability of both parents. They've decimated the wildlife population and upset the ecosystem greatly. And the sad part is that it's pretty well agreed upon that it started with Burmese pythons being released into the everglades by incompetent reptile owners who weren't prepared to accommodate a snake that grows upwards of 15 feet regularly.
that story about the girl finding out her best friend was her sister breaks my heart. her non-biological dad possibly having no idea and then losing his daughter and finding out his wife stole someone's baby. heartbreaking. the friend being her sister tho. it's beautiful.
He loved his daughter so much I can only imagine his turmoil!
Luckily she was blessed with two sets of parents that loved her very much.
He had no idea ..why still saying possibly ..listen again
@_d98224 It's just a word, my guy, just a word. I know the story. But I don't know anyone in the story. So possibly is just saying I don't know. regardless of what someone says, It doesn't always mean it's the truth. Also, I wrote this comment 3 months ago I don't know where my mind was.. I don't know why I wrote possibly. I'm just responding to your comment with what I think may possibly be why I wrote it.
@@ashleyann18 Alright ..alright..👍🏼✌🏼
What happened to Paula is so tragic, but she's definitely brave and saved her baby boy😢
@@anonymitya9535the one on the top right looks young but the rest look like they’re well into being adults
Wonder why they hid the eyes of those culprits? What they did was despicable.
@@anonymitya9535 nah, I ain't talking about Mr Ballen showing the photos covered. I'm talking about the police who took the mug shots and covered the eyes of these low lifes.
That last story was so bitter sweet, and it's nice that a story had no casualties in it for once
Right?? I swear I was thinking she was being kidnapped or something scary. What a strange twist of fate.
amen
She was literally kidnapped so what do you mean??
@@CarmenRodriguez-gq5gq I think she was referring to the social workers. The way that the story was going it sounded like it was going to end with the social workers not being legit social workers and kidnapped her and then she was never seen again or sometime later they find human remains that would be the girl.
@@holy8782 I just think its really ignorant to say the case had no "casualties" when the person involved was a victim of child abduction. I'm guessing the bar is just low for OP.
Let’s face it. You’ve been waiting all weekend for this.
Yes
On the discord too 😳
You got that shit right! 😂
Guilty 😢 😅
Yessss
I can't imagine how Miche's real parents felt knowing she was going to keep in contact with the woman who devastated their lives. It would take great strength and love for their daughter to deal with something like that.
I don't know. I think it would be understandable to an extent. They didn't mistreat her and they loved her. She did it out of grief and hid it for many years. What she did was very wrong, but her parents would understand that it is a difficult dynamic.
Of course she stayed in contact with the ppl who are parents to her! That's totally normal. Just bc someone tells you "that woman over there is your mom" doesn't do anything, especially at that age. I know this bc I was delivered back to biological parents at 18 months, but they remained strangers to me. I had bonded with the woman who had been taken care of me.
So if you found out you where kidnapped as a baby and should now live with your bio parrents, then you would never talk to the only ones you called parrents your whole life? I think its more strange for her to now live with her bio parrents, and call them parrents.
These other comments...their ability to comprehend is quite bad. I agree with what @mamapoch1915 is saying. The real parents got a huge heart because I would hate those kidnappers and wish all kinds of bad things. But they try to understand miche's feelings about it.
@@albgardis We’re not talking about someone being adopted. We’re talking about someone being kidnapped! How is that natural? I would be livid with my “parents”, regardless of how good they had treated me if I found out they had KIDNAPPED me. Also, I didn’t say anything about the child, I was referring to the parents who had their child ripped away from them. How you think that’s normal is beyond me.
Mr Ballen is honestly one of the best storytellers. He can make 30 minutes feel like 10 with his stories. Thank you Mr. Ballen for giving us amazing stories while we work, lounge, or whatever else we may be doing :)
Ok
@@jin8684 ???????????
MrBallen makes me very happy to listen to some of the most terrible things that have ever happened to people!
@@Praisethemooon most of us hate this spam too, there should be a dedicated worship comment where people can post replies. lots of the worship comments are adult link spam
He actually makes 10 mins seem like 30 but it’s ok lol….
I recognised the first story very quickly because it was such an unusual story for a python to predate a person like that. There’s literally a handful of cases in recorded history. Dude was phenomenally unlucky.
I’m just sad for the python 🐍 it wasn’t being malicious or anything. It was just having a tasty snack! 😋
@@sharpscale5175fr that's just what snakes do they eat and survive
You can see the video of where the friends cut the snake open and find the body. Then you can see the picture of Akbar after exiting the snake.
It’s because that particular snake was huge
@offroadguy7772 Like Cell and the Androids
I missed this series!
I was actually born in Cape Town not long after Miche was kidnapped, literally a week later, in the same hospital (Groote Schuur Hospital). It was a huge case in CT at the time. Apparently, my parents were so paranoid while I was in the hospital that they rarely left me alone, to the point that they got to know all the baby nurses so that they could keep a better eye on me.
Unfortunately, baby kidnappings like this aren’t that uncommon. Security in most of our hospitals are lax, and with understaffed nurses and doctors, it can be easy for someone disguised as a nurse to slip in and out unnoticed.
I’m just glad that the family was reunited, and at least in Miche’s case, it seemed like Lavona was just so grief stricken that she wanted a baby no matter the cost, and she was raised in a happy environment and not abused like most kidnapped children. Still a terrible situation either way.
I do also feel bad for Cassidy for having to keep this secret, and for Michael if he didn’t know what his wife did from the start.
🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
I'm thankful for when my daughter was in NICU they had a locked door and you had to know the code to get in (which was changed weekly)
🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🫡
You were born in 2015????
@@shamim1733 No, in 1997, same year as Miche. It was 2015 when she was reunited with her birth family.
That last story was absolutely wild but so believable to me. I recently got to know two sisters that were raised completely separated from me our whole lives and it was the strangest thing... I'm someone who doesn't really take to anyone, a loner by nature largely distrusting of others.. and there was no denying this odd familiarity and sense of kinship. I liked/loved them immediately and they felt the same. I've never experienced anything like it and it makes complete sense to me these two sisters would feel instantly connected meeting for the first time. It's a mysterious world. 🤔😎❤️
For the sixth consecutive week I've been delighted by the return to the more "original" form of stories from Ballen HQ.
Calm down fanboi.
Stop the “LOOK AT ME” comments.
@@sendthis9480🤣🤣
@@sendthis9480you dont see the irony in your comment do you?! 😂😂😂
@@renlynn555
No…because I don’t stroke RUclips narrators.
Grow up.
Learn to substantiate yourself…or else keep your mouth closed.
Needy little kids.
@@renlynn555I love how oblivious some people are😂😂😂
There's something so incredible about the Nurse daughter's friendship. It's as if their sibling connection was so strong it pulled them together in spite of the abduction and separation, and they found each other again.
Interestingly, this sort of thing happens a lot more than you would think.
Cases where children have been separated at birth, but end up finding each other later in life. It's a strange phenomena for it to occur so frequently.
I feel bad for the man who adopted the child as his daughter. It wasn't his fault that his wife committed a crime and yet he got a raw deal from life. Life is both unfair and cruel.
@@Veronica.A.just finished listening and feel the exact same way. Fathering and bringing up a child all the way into her teens to then not just lose your wife who you love but finding out your daughter isn't yours (if he truly never got told from his wife) must be soul destroying. It's the ultimate high for the biological parents and ultimate low for that man and no doubt his wife because I'm sure you ain't thinking about been caught a decade+ later, then spend a decade in a Brazilian jail which to my knowledge are extremely dangerous and violent (in comparison too most jails).
@@brettpearce8843 he said it happened in south Africa. Brazil is in South America, not South Africa.
@@Veronica.A. my bad 😂😂 for some reason I thought this happened in sao Paulo in Brazil, im a few stories in so just got my wires crossed. Point still stands though maybe not as dangerous as the Brazilian jails they not far off. Severely run down, underfinanced, severely overcrowded and known for guards regularly attacking inmates.
The addition of the photos will always add another layer to these stories with the reveals being so unbelievable. Another great video.
Im from Cape Town and happy to report that Miche has reconciled with her biological parents and their relationship has been restored. She has nothing to do with Levon whom kidnapped her anymore, but she still has Michael in her life in fact "both her fathers" walked her down the aisle when she got married this year!!❤
The story about Miche was both sad and happy. It's sad to find out that the people you loved and thought were your parents were not and that you were kidnapped at birth. BUT, at least they raised her well and were good parents to her and how cool is it that her best friend turned out to be her sister??? Also good that she kept relationship with the people who raised her.
It must have been devastating that day but the end result was that Miche got a bonus set of parents.
I agree totally, she was raised very well. Why wouldn’t she want to see her ‘fake’ parents, she was looked after brilliantly. Besides, her kidnapped mother went to prison for 10 years.
@@Mu5096rdghand good. The lady deserves even more years of prison time. The years she held her unsuspecting non daughter captive plus the years she held her from her family. Should’ve gotten double for being such a selfish a hole. Have a miscarriage? Don’t lie to your husband and be a loser human being. How about having some integrity, tell the truth and adopt? But nope. Fat lady had to deceive her own husband and her fake child. What a gross human being. She doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as good people. If you defend her and you have a kid- I bet you’d feel differently if someone snatched your baby from the hospital and you wouldn’t be so forgiving. Am I right? If you say no, you’re either not a parent, or you’re a bad parent or you have ZERO SOUL.
I really appreciate what you do for RUclips and everyone who watches your videos. I have been having a very hard time coming to terms with losing just about everything I had built for myself in life and have been in a deep despair for a very long time. Your videos help me in dealing with something that I am not strong enough to take on. Thank you MrBallen.
I’m so sorry things have been tough, but I’m glad watching the show helps you in some small way. Thanks for sharing!!
Peace to you brother. I truly wish you the best and hope things improve. I most definitely can relate. Take care.
Stay strong. 💕
Used to be, I thought such comments were silly… until I too went through a tragic event & found comfort & normalcy in watching Mr.Ballens videos
Happy that you found solace in a during a difficult time ❤💯
You got this, I’ll tell you a qoute/joke “life is hard but I’m harder”
So Cassidy was told about Micha being her biological sister but authorities asked her not to reveal this to anyone. Terrible way to deal with this, expecting a 14 year old to bear this burden. Many 14 year olds aren't good at keeping secrets. Poor Cassidy must have been so stressed. I think only the closest investigators and social workers should have known before 100% confirmation and then both sisters told at the same time.
Yes they could have handled it better but I disagree with you about the 14yr old. You’re merely making an assumption about 14yr olds, and projecting how it would have burdened you maybe as a teen, but many many 14yr olds are strong mentally and emotionally.
Well, bear in mind that Cassidy’s parents already told Cassidy that they believed Micha to be their daughter, so they couldn’t really hide it.
@@robiulahmed That's pretty much what I think happened. Had she not known anything they wouldn't have put her in that position.
@@robiulahmed You make a very good point. Cassidy was told by her parents and police did ask her not to say anything to Micha. I think if Cassidy's parents had consulted authorities first advice would've been to say nothing until confirmation..
@@courtneyderouen- I mean….all she said was that “many 14 year olds aren’t good at keeping secrets.” I really don’t think she’s projecting. And it *IS* terrible to expect a 14 year old to shoulder that kind of burden. It’s terrible to expect *ANYONE* to learn that their best friend is their sister who was kidnapped from the hospital at 3 days old, but then to just act like everything is normal & to continue to keep it a secret from her - indefinitely - while they try to find & make a case against the only mother she’s ever known. This news was going to completely devastate her best friend, who is actually her sister, and SHE had to know what was coming & just keep it from her. I’m 43 & a medical doctor, and that scenario would crush me. It’s not about how strong, or weak, a person is…I can break a stranger’s sternum & slide my hand into their open thoracic cavity to massage their heart after they flatline without breaking a sweat, & administer nasogastric tube lavage on a 416 pound patient for gastrointestinal decontamination in search of a GI bleed….but don’t ask me to know that my sister’s world is about to be turned upside down, and not do or say anything to protect her….just pretend I don’t know anything. On top of that, this kid had to process her own feelings & emotions about the situation.
There’s a reason we can’t drive a car until 16, and we need our parent’s consent for most things until we’re 18….and we can’t drink booze until we’re 21. Kids don’t have the capacity to handle many adult situations & events. Our brains continue to develop into our early 20’s…one of the last parts to develop is the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for planning complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behavior. I’m sure there are plenty of 14 year olds who could handle the kind of situation this girl was put in…but scientifically & medically speaking, it’s far more likely that an average 14 year old would have trouble processing & navigating this kind of situation, especially if they weren’t allowed to talk about it.
If we’re being honest, your comment sounded a lot more like someone who is projecting, than the OP’s comment did. She’s not wrong. And she wasn’t rude about it. You were kind of rude, though.
This is a little off topic, but as a South African, it's so cool to hear Mr Ballen covering stories from South Africa (the Miché story).🤭 I love your channel, Mr Ballen..!!! You're awesome..!!!
From Cape Town here, this was a major social service case when it happened, made all the local news headlines and the community was so outraged at this that under correction, I believe they moved. Sad part is baby theft in some hospitals is not uncommon unfortunately, but this was one of the stories where there was a happy ending. Thanks for covering this, MrBallen
Did the community not give them privacy? I’m confused why the community outrage would force that poor family to move. It seems sickening that the situation would have been made worse because of that. Maybe I’m misunderstanding.
@@BoringTroublemakerhe girl went back to her not real dad once she became old enough to. So I'm guessing the community wasn't buying that he didn't know and that is why they moved. I think that is what this person is talking about. Not the victim family.
Your fans asked for longer videos, and that’s what you’ve delivered. Nothing but respect for Mr. Ballen
Umm what are you smoking? The fans have been asking for longer videos but have you asked why? It's because his Amazon podcasts are like almost a hour long each. He literally skimps out on his videos some being 15 minutes long then doing a hour long podcast on something that would have been awesome to see actual photos/videos. But no because he wants money so we see things that are short stories meanwhile saving only juicy stories for podcast that you have to pay for. And I'm not saying he doesn't deserve more money but I feel like we deserve to be told it better than podcast where we can't even experience the evidence if we are paying money for it. That was the whole magic of this. What made Mr ballen stand out from the rest is that his stories were backed but also shown by evidence
@@DankMilkGamerz Sad if true. I just wanna see the best stuff even if I have to pay.
@@DankMilkGamerzEveryone needs to make a living. Tell me, would you work for free? Be happy there's a platform for people to watch *free* content and to leave comments about how unhappy it makes you that Mr. B chooses to do a side gig for $$.
@@atmywhitsonlol he wasn’t posting on RUclips for free. He was still making money and the whole reason he got big and anyone even knows who he is…RUclips!
Lmao where? I must have missed it
WE NEED more of the “places people aren’t supposed to go but went anyways” videos!
YES
Don't worry, there may be one soon about the submarine dudes 😅
THisa is sO not TRue im agonna delete your epIc account iF you dont aadelete thIs whtih a19 hour!!!
@@jessicawise775 no
@@SuV33358 no
That is so sad and endearing. She saved her sons life but lost hers. The fact that you can also see her shadow in the picture taking the picture is crazy.
Glad to see the 3 part stories make a return. The last one was both sad and kind of wholesome. Instead of death being associated with it, there was a proper outcome. And while her mom definitely committed a crime, it was somewhat touching to see Miche pretty much forgive her. I suppose that's as happy of an ending as we'll get on MrBallens channel lol.
unfortunately, the Nurse family decided to celebrate with a trip to honduras where they were devoured by a huge snake
A death was involved, the kidnapper's baby died. I don't think she deserved prison, maybe a psychiatric hospital sentence or something.
@@EllaJay so if a criminal has a sad story we should let it slide? i bet u wouldnt say that if the perp was a dude.... or if u were
@@tonyborelli. I'm not some radical feminist.. I'd feel bad for anyone driven to steal a baby because their own one died. Even Miche doesn't blame her.
I said she deserves punishment, but 10 yrs in jail doesn't fit the crime. Treatment in a psych hospital seems more beneficial. ✌️
@@EllaJay When you break the law & separate parents from their daughter for years, you deserve prison.
That first story… the fact that a human being met that fate is absolutely wild. I cannot imagine.
If it got a good wrap around his upper body, he would've been unconscious pretty quick.
@@lifesajoke6965That's true but what's much stranger/scarier about this story is that when it comes to the constrictor type of snakes, while they may be carnivores they don't generally attempt to attack humans. Unless provoked, Boas, Pythons etc are a lot more likely to just want to get away from any humans that happen upon them. And the fact that this snake not only attacked and consumed this guy, but also seemed to have actively hunted/stalked him leading up to that is not only crazy, but chilling as well.
I have a feeling that the man actually disturbed the snake by hitting/walking on it by accident, but not realising. @jbmp1390
Thanks for sharing the story about Miche Solomon / Zephany Nurse. If she and Cassidy hadn't been two peas in a pod the truth would never have come to light. There are many victims in this story, but Miche is definitely the one most traumatised imo. I continue to wish her and her young family well. 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
Also the man who raised her. I couldn't imagine.
It’s ashamed she was kidnapped, however those kidnappers still raised and love her as their own
I'd argue her parents here are the people most traumatised because they actually were aware for their whole Lives their daughter had been stole from them as a baby and had to live through that whereas miche only found out later on and in the long run she got 4 parents and found out her best friend was actually her sister, also when her real parents finally got her back as happy as you would be it would also be so devastating to think about all the years you have lost with your daughter growing up without you and her now having some huge attachment forever to the horrible psychopath who you know stole your baby
@@coffeelink943No not "however" saying "however" makes it sound like your justifying the actions in some way just because they raised her well
@coffeelink943 but she wasn't their own. They couldn't have truly loved her because if they did they wouldn't have stolen her. Pure parentsal love isn't selfish. Kidnapping is.
This series, with real photos, along with “Top stories with real audio” are my favorite stories. I love the “Before they were famous,” stories, too. It’s something about seeing or hearing actual correlations, that takes it to an entirely new level. You really have your own unique style, that sets you apart, by a long shot, from the other storytellers, on RUclips. Ever since I first discovered you, after you’d first started out on TT & transitioned over to YT; I knew you’d blow up. Now days, for me at least, MrBallen *_IS_*_ RUclips._
Your unique content, delivery & style alone, should be enough for YT to name this genre after you- “Ballen style stories.” 😂❤
"You really have your own unique style, that sets you apart, by a long shot, from the other storytellers, on RUclips" when reading this aloud there's way too many unnatural pauses due to the commas.
"You really have your own unique style that sets you apart (by a long shot) from the other storytellers on youtube" looks better and certainly sounds better when read aloud.
I'm not saying this to discredit your incredibly kind comment! Of course everything you said made perfect sense, I'm nitpicking, but after seeing how many commas you used I realized there's a chance English isn't your first language and I'm only mentioning it to help you improve your writing skills. Regardless it was a lovely message and I hope you have a wonderful day
You forgot to include a period after ‘day’.
I couldn’t imagine being kidnapped as a child and growing up normally, but it’s even more insane that your real parents are who you saw as your best friends parents😯
that's just insane, in such a big city, the changes of them her being best friend with her own sister 🤯
I'm just glad that her kidnapper (the father didn't know anything) treated her well, it makes this fucked up story just "fucked up" and not tragic.
Right?? It’s not like she was abused so she probably didn’t have any reason to suspect … I did wonder at first why she looked nothing like her “mom” tho
@@ShirleyLestradeYes I thought the same
it happens to thousands of adopted people every day but we are not allowed to know our natural relatives!
@@hinaynihorvath3926ou seem to have had a really bad experience, but the cryptic comments are a little attention seeking. If you have a story to tell, then spill it. I'm not being very nice and I realize that, but you throwing in these random, cryptic comments while people are making comments that have some meaning is aggravating. And yes, I don't have to read them. But I can have an opinion like anybody else. Maybe I'm just on one tonight. 🙄🙄🙄
And how do your comments relate to this girl being kidnapped? No, kidnapping does NOT happen all the time to adoptive kids. She wasn't even adopted. She was KIDNAPPED!!!! Just wtf point are you trying to make?
I'm so happy Miche and the Nurse family were able to reunite. But, damn, that's gonna be traumatic to come to terms with the knowledge that the parents you know and love are actually your kidnappers. I'm glad that her biological family is well-known to her, so that'll hopefully help ease some of the pain and struggle.
Apparently she couldn’t bond with her biological family and when she was 18 she went back to live with the father she grew up with and wait for “her mother” to get out of jail
The father didn’t know about the kidnapping, Lavona had pretended to be pregnant and go into labour while he was at work….but had actually kidnapped Miche from the hospital when she was born
@@rebeccahicks2194 Yeah, that part truly breaks my heart--that one of the parents was also an innocent victim, who suddenly found out his daughter wasn't his. I'm surprised he stayed with her after she lied to him like that.
@@WynneLI agree, that would be heartbreaking. I’m glad Miche stayed with him and the father didn’t lose her tbh
It is iffy as heck that one of the Child Care Workers let her stay over, and the other one was ok with it.....
The first story and image were shocking as a starter that reminded me too much of how quickly disaster can occur, the second being a deep heartache and thousand-pound weight in my stomach seeing Paula's shadow in the image, and the third was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions trying to figure out what was going to happen. I think what really hits is just how well these stories are delivered with great respect while also being in enough detail to haunt you, as always. Rest in peace, Akbar and Paula. Glad to hear Miche is alive and well. 😭
Yes all heavy stories 😢
And crazy Miché looked like a warrior in her red dress😭
The photo in the first photo was blurry to me. Was it the same with you? 🤔
@@Reemtosa it definitely was not.
Thank you John, this is one of my favorite series. Also a good friend of mine that just passed on was a huge fan of yours. He watched every video, and always talked about you. His name was Todd, thanks for providing us with the best stories😢
That last story about the friends that turned out to be sisters was both sad and amazing. Keep up the great work and content you deliver to us mere mortals Mr Ballen you are definitely the best story teller on RUclips in my opinion 🙏
thank you!!
SPOILER ALERT 🚨
Wow that last story is crazy… the fact that they randomly just happened to attend the same school, and then they ended up becoming very close friends without having any clue that they were sisters. It just goes to show how strong our love & connection is to our siblings. To become so close naturally before knowing they were sisters? That’s so amazing & cool. The odds of them going to the same school, becoming friends when they’re 4 years apart, and then finding out they’re sisters is crazy.
This is my favorite format! 3 stories+longer video! Love it!
I actually had something like that kind of happen to me. My mom had given up her baby girl before I was born. And we ended up going to the same school our whole lives without ever knowing we were sisters. We even had the same friends. We eventually found out right before I entered high school that we were sisters. And we looked a lot a like, and our friends always mentioned it. She was 3 years older then me. Once I started high school we were inseparable.
i disagree...i hate my siblings and have cut them off.
People with toxic siblings and family members be like: am I a joke to you?
As a person who is from Cape Town South Africa I still remember the Zephany Nurse case. Super bizarre and sad. Thankfully Zephany and her biological family are super close now. In the past two years she's been supporting people who are going through the same ordeals.
That one brought tears to my eyes
@@Sonworshippersame, the reveal wide eyed me, but at least it ended with a good ending.
Before they found Zephany, I actually attended church in Mitchell's Plain with her biological family. Her biological mother sang so beautifully and you could tell that they were dealing with something heavy. When the story broke a few years later, I was so shocked!! God really has blessed them, it's a heartbreaking story.
Last I heard Zephany and her biological parents weren't close at all, barely on speaking terms. Younger sis, Cassidy, blasted her rebellious phase all over the magazines, moved out of her parents' house and moved in with a boyfriend and Zephany decided to keep the name her kidnapper gave her (Miche) and completely disregard the one her bio parents gave her. Maybe that changed?
@@ellied4088 That is true yes but a lot has changed. They are closer now. Her biological parents got remarried to each other. Zephany is also married.
The first story literally made my jaw drop. Wow such a sad tragic way to go.
What happened to Paula was so sad but it's really brave and sweet of her to have sacrificed her life for her son. Miche's story is crazy. I'm glad it had a happy ending though and that nothing negative beyond the actual kidnapping happened to her.
He said vinegar, I said vodka. We are not the same.
😂
I was thinking that at least the keurig will be clean. 😂😂 useable in the future? TBD.
Vinegar is good for cleaning the Keurig....and for marinating foods....and on salads, but I digress
Lol
😂 I like your logic!!!
Story 3: OMG. I could NOT imagine the shock and horror, but clarity that Miche had. I hope it all worked out well for her.
It had to be a total shocker. I couldn’t imagine the confusion and emotions going through her.
Apparently she couldn’t bond with her biological family and when she turned 18 went back to live with her father she grew up with (he didn’t know about the kidnapping, his wife pretended to be pregnant and give birth but she had actually stolen Miche from the hospital when she was born)
You mean story #1, he numbers them backwards 3 2 1
Ngl her parents are both dark-skinned but she herself looks white so idk how the police took that long to find her true identity
@@Huobaojiqi she’s definitely not white
Poor Miche, what a traumatic situation! I don't know if it was worse to be taken away by strangers, or see the woman who loved and raised her locked up in jail. I'm wondering if Miche wished the connection was never discovered, or at least handled in a different way.
What about Miche biological parents you didn't felt sorry for them.. Kidanapping a born child is a crime and the punishment must be taken seriously.. What her mother felt when her baby isn't beside her.. Come on don't see one side of the story..
@@SUNFlower-tt9zv True. Everyone is so focused on poor kidnapper mum. It's the selfish zeitgeist, I guess.
@@SUNFlower-tt9zv ofc you feel sorry for them, but also, after 17 years of not being able to raise your child, she's basically an independent adult by the time they have their child back. Immediately the parents would be filled with so many emotions and relief that they have their baby back. A comforting closure to nearly two decades of fixing their immense amount of grief and heartbreak. But miche isn't a baby anymore. She wouldn't feel the same about it. She already established a tie to her known parents, that have showered her with unconditional love, breastfed her, provided everything for her, and supported her education and ambitions, that cannot be broken. The same love the parents would feel for their missing child, miche would feel for her kidnappers. And that disconnection is all in all just a tough place for everyone.
And miche just wants to start her life by then. Its a financial matter too. I mean parents start from early to raise college funds. What if she now can't go to college because her now biological parents didn't save enough to provide for both daughters.
At maybe 8 or below, I can imagine it isn't as bad or confusing to live with a new set of parents since core memories for the child start to be developed around that time and for the parents to accommodate their found child back into their lives
But especially by 17, I'd severely miss the mother I've known all my life if I was told my life was a lie.
Buuuuut ill say, on the flip side, I'd be thrilled to live with my best friend and basically be adopted by their parents.
@@zeffery101I wouldn't miss a woman I know did something so cruel and unforgivable. You sympathizing waaaaaaay too much with a woman that snuck in, stole a baby and broke the hearts of an entire family. Even though they have her back, she'll never develop the same bond with her bio parents. Can you imagine your child loving the person who destroyed your life?!
Whew! The first story with the boy and python is beyond horrifying. The pictures were very telling, my curious mind appreciates that you posted them. That's a taste of reality at it's creepiest 😨
Could that snake have digested him fully clothed? I figured it would have killed the snake.
@@jacobhendrickson8935apparently being consumed whole by pythons fully clothed is quite common in Indonesia 😬 there are a few other stories 😓
Boy? He was 25.
It was definitely a ‘taste’……for the snake.
What a terrible way to go.
The kidnapping story is so engaging that I am totally absorbed by it. Thanks, Mr. Ballen, for your great skills in story-telling!
Lol right. I was playing a game on my phone and I was like let me put this down. This is getting juicy.
Ikr
I miss those "three, four, even five times a week" uploads, but still keeps me on edge.
I'm glad you're gettin a bigger platform and spendin time with your family.
Thank you & your team!
The last story is really heart-warming when looked at at a certain angle, with a non-judgemental attitude. I feel happy for Mishe that she ended up having more than one pair of parents that care about her.
Mr Ballen ALWAYS hits it out of the park. I'm never disappointed with his videos or podcasts!
Looking at every photo of the girls side by side its uncanny how similar they look. No wonder when Cassidy's parents saw the photo they instantly knew that this girl was their daughter. The smile is EXACT. The nose, EXACT. The eyes, and eyebrows are SOO similar. The forehead and hairline, EXACT. It's crazy how fate brought them back together as best friends so that this whole thing could turn out the way it did. Such a crazy turn of events.
she had to have sensed something about her not looking anything like her thief parents. there's multiple times on unsolved mysteries where when the kid starts growing up they can sense those things that *that* something is missing. a wrong parent or being adopted, something.
@tobiramajr90 The original picture that got everyone thinking is @26:25 and they look SO alike but the picture @28:52 is absolutely undeniable.
Man if I were Cassidy I'd be shocked to see someone who looks SO similar to me go to the same school as I😭 so glad she showed the picture to her parents
And they look just like mom too!
STRONG genes from the mom!
Your live Discord event was awesome! I’m not just saying that because I’m a founder, either! ❤
I love when you do this format broken down into 3 stories. This video reminded me of why I subscribed in the first place. I had already heard about the final case but the personal details that paint a picture and make you visualize what was going on in these people's lives makes it so much more interesting and THAT is the difference between mrballen and other storytellers.
I prefer this format because it keeps the listener's attention and when Mrballen only focuses on one story it can be a very drawn out (but appreciated) process that makes the outcome a little less interesting because you have enough time to figure it out before you get to the end- hot take
❤ your content regardless and always wishing you all the success
I don't ever want to get swallowed by a snake! You are a master storyteller. I hope you do more of the disturbing backstories w/photo, they're very interesting.
😖
I’ve never heard of a kidnapping story ending so well. The fact that she was treated so well that she didn’t hate her kidnappers is just mind blowing.
Sounds like that lady who kidnapped her would have been such a good mother but the loss of her child caused her to do the unthinkable. I actually feel bad for her that a terrible circumstance turned a great parent into a criminal. Life is truly stranger than fiction. You can’t make this stuff up if you tried.
I can understand her not liking the mother, but imagine the feeling that man felt when he found out his wife had lied to him and he was going to lose his "only daughter." The minute Ballen spoke about the man not being in on the plot, my heart ached for that father. How absolutely terrible he must feel.
In one day, he learns his daughter died of a miscarriage, his wife kidnapped this stranger's baby, his wife is now going to jail for 10 years, and on top of all that, his daughter he's raised is leaving the home to live with another family.
Everything ripped from that man in one day. Typing this out really makes me happy she's still talking to him, as I don't think I'd be able to continue living if I were him and that wasn't the case.
She has nothing to associate her as a kidnapper. She was a baby so it's like her biological parent to her. It would be for most people.
she fing kidnapped a baby from the hospital. there is a special place in hell for this woman.
If it was a man who was kind to her I bet you wouldn’t say the same
Yeah, no. You can't be a good mother if you're ever someone who could kidnap someone else. It doesn't matter that she was "kind". horrible person either way.
I actually love your videos so much I watch them almost every night before I go to bed. You tell these stories so good and make it feel like we are actually there it’s amazing, keep it up buddy🤍
This series was what initially sucked me in to the rest of your videos. It’s so nice to see a new episode following your old format, especially after such a long time. Thank you for providing this to us for free, you’re a national treasure!
As a fellow South African from Cape Town, I really appreciate you for covering this story. 🇿🇦
Is that where the series “blood sisters”on Netflix came from?
Inspired blood and water
@@Goddess_Infinityyes it inspired blood n water
I've been living in CT for 50+ years and have never heard this story. But I know that when I gave birth 22 years ago, the maternity ward was like a prison, every1 needed identification for coming in and out of the hospital. What an evil deed by the kidnappers. And the children are always caught in the middle, having allegiance to the kidnappers.
@traybern dont remember sorry. I remember there were kidnappings, but ek kan nie die omstandighede onthou nie.
@trayberni think they mean Capetown
I was at Yale in 2000 it was heavily secured when my son was born
@traybernI had to read all this a few times over. Not Connecticut (CT) But Cape Town in Africa. (I'm in Connecticut lol)
@traybernAnd I remember that story. Wasn't that a nurse that stole the baby in Bridgeport? Crazy sad stories 😢
#3 was the absolute craziest twist of any of MrBallen's stories!!
I had absolutely no idea where that was going to go, I never would've guessed the truth that was to come
I don't know. The was a very big twist but I think the most interesting twist was this one, called "Most F*CKED UP interrogation ever caught on tape (*MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY*)" You should see it if you get a chance.
I always get SO excited when you utter “south africa”! It’s so rare to hear stories from here, and the ones you tell are ones that we’re often unfamiliar with. What a story. Thanks, Mr Ballen :)
I would love to hear stories from South Africa. I bet there are many.
You know there was a time I'd roll my eyes at the idea that Two sisters raised apart would have anything in common and somehow find each other and bond over those things in common, but I recently met my half sister for the first time and my god are there so many little things alike between my full sisters and her and me. It's incredible how powerful our genetics are.
Thats how genetics work lol they share your genes so similarities are biund to happen.
@@Channel24377There was a story where in a secret government project , twins were separated ar birth and one child was given to another set of parents. The child ( both of the same gender , usually male) knew nothing. When they ' met ' as young adults , they had the same likes and dislikes , same hobbies , married women who were very similar, had similar pets etc etc. Genes control us a lot more than we think.
So the parents lose their child for 17 years and the kidnapper serves almost half that. How does the kidnapper not at the very least serve 17 years. She should’ve gotten put away for life. The pain and suffering she caused that family is unimaginable
Because the kidnapper didn’t abuse Miche and raised her well. Miche herself is still in contact with who she will always see as her mother. Specially since she obviously loved her a lot. So I doubt Miche herself would want her mother to be thrown in jail for life. Her crime in the end isn’t a violent one.
The Mishe story is so crazy, the way Cassidy and her were just drawn to each-other really feels like fate.
It was fate.
Wow, that picture of the unfortunate man swallowed by the snake was horrific 😮
Shame he didn't have a good sharp knife on his belt, he may have been able to cut the snakes head off before it could coil around him.
I hate any story involving reptiles; Crocodiles, Snakes, Mark Zuckerberg.
@@tubularfrog Surprise attack like ambush would made prepared person become unprepared for attack he received, and snake like python are strong enough to strangle it victim it'll hard to retaliate.
@@tubularfrogerr he had all his bones broken...🙈
@@G-Star-Raw After it coiled.
As usual the cases and photos are wild!! I’m glad that the people who kidnapped Misha as a baby treated her so well. So often that’s not how kidnapping cases end up. It does seem the only one who knew she was kidnapped was her kidnapper and Mom for the first 17 years of her life. It seems like no she has 2 family’s that love her deeply. I wouldn’t know what to do if someone stole my baby!
I really enjoy that u use as many real or as accurate photos as possible they really help give context and sympathy to the stories
I only feel sympathy towards the snake.
I cannot express how excited I get when Mr.Ballen posts his storytelling draws me in and I feel like I’m experiencing it in real time I feel like I know the people he talks about I can only hope once I have kids I can be half as good at storytelling as him I also wanna say thank you for taking time out of your day/week to look up these stories and then figure out how you’re going to tell it it definitely means more to us than you’ll ever know
ALRIGHT now!! The "3 stories" segment like you used to do at the beginning of your channel starting!! These will NEVER get old. Thanks for this.
Hey John, I know that I don't really know you very well but just wanted to say how much your videos mean to me. Young single mum of 2 and am very isolated. I find that your strange, dark and mysterious content delivered in such a friendly and warm story format is a great distraction. Thank you so much for all your videos and for being a friend and a constant in my life.
I can relate. I'm a mom who is also isolated these days after "life happened" and I can barely go anywhere now. People can criticize all they want but I enjoy certain content and I appreciate it greatly as well. Take care my friend.
I started watching Mr Ballen like 2 weeks ago and now his videos are my new comfort source and keeps me sane at work. I also didn't think it was possible to feel sympathy for a like button 😂
I love how he adds sound effects to his hand motions, just makes the immersion that much more intense
I really can't go long without your stories/podcasts. I can never say thank you enough for your sense of humor and all you do!
The story of Misha, you told it so well. I was greatly moved when you first mentioned the kidnapping. Thank you for sharing.
thank you!!
I don't know why....but it is very comforting to sit down and have mrballen tell a story. It helps me feel not so alone while I am travelling and away from family. Thank you mr.ballen!!!
Its 4 am here where I live, but I just can't sleep without watching my favorite storyteller telling us strange, dark, mysterious stories delivered in a story format.
Gaýyyyyyyyyyy
Hey same here!
9pm here 🙌🏼
10 pm here!!!
6AM here
Love that your bringing back some of your old series! I miss your missing 411 videos as well. You should make more! We've got loads of missing people in Alaska, who have disappeared seemingly without a trace. Several in Fairbanks who disappeared within weeks of each other back in the summer of 2021, as well as a hunter visitng from Tennessee vanished during a caribou hunt last year. Their stories need to be told, maybe we can get people talking about them again and finally get answers!!
Pretty sure he said he would like to but there is some conflict with the author of the 411 books david
I miss the 411 stuff too. It was so good.
I miss that series so much it was literally my favourite. Now I just rewatch old 411 videos or look for other you tubers coving those stories. It was riveting stuff
Maybe those mean ass sasquatch yall have, have something to do with some of the disappearances? 🫣
What part of Alaska are you in?
Miche's story gave me chills and tears. Thank God she was loved and cared for by her kidnapper, it is surreal to say that, but YIKES!
The pain her kidnapper was feeling to cause her to do do such a drastic thing is so sad. It doesn’t excuse her actions, but it makes me sad nonetheless. She should have just borne the pain of losing their child with her husband and gone to adopt or try again. This poor child could have been saved so much heartache if the kidnapper woman had just been honest.
That doesn’t make it right . They stole a child from parents and the stress and depression they suffered Al those years , stealing her identity, being raised by strangers that are not blood who commited a horrible crime …… dafuk u mean
@@enriqueaguilar422 Oh, I totally agree! My thought was at least they were good to her, in a horrible situation at least she wasn't fucked up worse, they could have sexually, physically abused her but they didn't. I'm just looking at the silver lining. I'm a "The glass is half full" person. I do not condone kidnapping at all!
I first noticed your videos a few years ago from the 3 photos with disturbing backstories series. I'm very glad these videos are back. These were my favorite out of all your videos:)
Thank you for your continuing storytelling, and making us like strange, dark, and mysterious stories. ☺️
The second one is both shocking and sad. The woman really saved her own child and went above and beyond. Rest in peace.
Seriously. And a quick thinker too. Not many would've taken a pic in that moment. She might've also saved any retaliation by the theves. ❤
@@crystalhamptonhinesraising a black object to someone pointing a gun at you, could’ve contributed to the gunman pulling the trigger.
The smart thing to do is let them take the bike.
If you've seen the movie abducted: The Carlina White story. It's so similar to this one. The only difference, Carlina solved her own kidnapping and it was a single mother that took her. However, she did miscarry and dressed up like a nurse as well. Creepy to know this happens so often.
When I had all three of my babies at home, it wasn't AT ALL because I thought this might happen. But it's interesting to think back, now, and be happy my babies couldn't get mixed up with the wrong bracelets, or get stolen at the hospital.
So weird that this has happened more than once or twice.
Saw this on lifetime haha
@@CarolineJoyAmico Exactly... Even with the new baby alarms they have now. It can still happen, especially if you're dressed like a nurse.
My dad introduced me to your channel a couple years ago, still watch you on and off. Keep it up!
I think your best series is, "places you can not go but people that went there anyway". . They're fascinating and educating as well. Hope for another of those soon. 💖💕
Miche's story is incredibly depressing. After learning the truth, she pretty much grew angry at her biological parents as if they were at fault for what happened and for a few years completely cut contact with them. Only as recently as last year did they actually develop a healthy relationship, as Miche got pregnant off her boyfriend and became a mother of her own.
Sounds like she had two great mothers to me, despite one of them doing a very selfish crime.
@@WontSeeReplies I feel sympathy for her not hating her kidnapper as it is obvious she loved her A LOT, and her adoptive father is absolutely fantastic from all of the interviews and available info on the internet. I just feel sad for the biological parents-- it's not as if they willingly gave her away. Being angry at them was the wrong feeling to have, but they appear to have been bonding recently :)
This is called Stockholm syndrome. It is a coping mechanism to a captive or abusive situation. People develop positive feelings toward their captors or abusers over time.
It’s basically a defense mechanism, because it is just too difficult to develop and harbor so much hate for someone so long. Even if they captured you.
To just automatically love this new biological family and abandon the old would require a tremendous amount of effort, it’s easier to just find a reason to hate the original parents and go back to life as usual. I’m not saying it’s RIGHT, but it IS a self preservation method in this poor girl’s case.
@@Kingx90really don’t think it is Stockholm syndrome as there isn’t no evidence of abuse. I think she just truly love her parents even if what the mother did is wrong.
@@Kingx90 it is not stockholm syndrome. Stockholm syndrome starts with acceptance and rationalization of a bad situation however Miche didn't even know she was in a bad situation. Her love towards the adopted one is pure innocent one not one with twisted stockholm syndrome. Her anger towards the biological parents is probably because she thought they ruined her perfectly fine life by putting parents that she loves into prison. Her anger coming from a teen with pretty fine life is justifiable
Finally one of the old-school style videos! Fantastic and terrifying stories as usual.
Ive tried watching other channels that follow your format, etc. And ive thought "this guy is trying to imitate MrBallen" - some are better than others but none have the same charisma, or level of story telling talent etc. that you have. But most importantly none possess that "something" you have that so easily earns 100% of your viewers trust! You could convince me that UFO's landed somewhere on the Tanzanian coastline last week! Thanks!
Fantastic stories as always. Awesome to see the top 3 disturbing photos series return, a whole 30 minutes to enjoy too! Thanks MrBallen.
Thank GOD you brought this series back!!! These are the videos that got me hooked on your channel and I’m so happy they’re back, my favorite! Great video I can’t believe some of these twists and photos
I missed these types of stories. One of my favorite channels !! Keep up the good work
I miss these ones too! Still all great episodes
same
The last one is just wow!! Incredible!! That had to be extremely hard for mesha but I’m so glad her parents finally reunited with her!!!! And how heartbreaking for the man that had no idea and thought he was her father!!!
That last story has got to be one of the craziest plot twists I have ever heard.
I’ve missed these top three format type stories. This feels like old Mr. Ballen content and I’m here for it!
Calm down fanboi.
Stop the “LOOK AT ME” comments.
@@sendthis9480who u talking too
beccaharden7041 Top 3 places you can't go but people who went there anyways is my favorite
@sendthis9480 you've posted this comment multiple times, why don't you calm down on your copypasta rudeness?