The St Luke's Abduction
This story happened to an English family just 5 days before Christmas in 1991.
The Edwards family lived in Dovecot a suburb of Liverpool. The family drove into the city on the evening of December 20th 7pm to do some Christmas shopping.
Liverpool was decked out in holiday cheer with bright colored lights and Christmas corals blaring. Mr. Edwards was circling trying to find a parking space when his wife suggested they park on a side street next to old St. Luke’s Church.
Mr. Edwards found a spot and everyone climbed out of the car. As the family argued about what store they were going to visit first, Mr. Edward looked around with concern.
Their three boys were with them but their youngest, Abbey was nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Abbey?” he asked.
His three teen sons shrugged, “She was here a second ago. We didn’t see her go anywhere.”
Everyone quickly returned to the car. They checked inside the car but Abbey wasn’t there. The Edwards were now frantic. It did not help that it was a moonless night. Plus a typical Liverpool fog had rolled in impairing their vision.
Out of the darkness they heard a faint cry. “Daddy!”
Mrs. Edwards screamed, “Abbey! Where are you?”
“Mummy!” the voice wailed.
The voice seemed to be coming from near St. Luke’s church. Mrs. Edwards and the rest of the family headed toward two back gates that were open.
Mr. Edwards first thought was that someone might have kidnapped his daughter and taken his little girl into the ruins of the old church.
In the thickening fog St. Luke’s was even more forbidding than usual. It had been bombed during the Second World War and only its outer walls remain.
Climbing onto a window ledge Mr. Edwards looked into what was once the sanctuary. All he saw was a deserted space piled high with rubble.
His wife got his attention. “Did you hear that?”
“Yes, its sounds like an organ playing but there is nothing in there.”
They listened but they heard no more sounds.
Mr. Edwards climbed down. “I was sure Abbey’s voice was coming from this church.”
The sons were sent to a nearby store to contact the local police. Once they had a description of Abbey, every patrol car in the area was put on high alert.
The Edwards continued to desperately search the church grounds but they found nothing out of the ordinary.
Distraught, they headed back to their car. Mr. Edwards stopped when he heard footsteps behind them. He turned and saw a tall man come out of the churchyard.
He had long bushy sideburns and wore a long old fashioned coat. A black top hat was on his head. Abbey was holding his hand.
When Abbey saw her parents she broke free and ran to them. They grabbed her up in a tearful hug.
A chill ran down Mr. Edward’s spine as he made eye contact with the man for he had a pale face with piercing dark eyes--they seemed to stare at him and pass through him at the same time.
He stated, “Please accept my apology for any distress caused.” He then turned and when he reached the church grounds his form vanished.
Angry now Mr. Edwards stated to his wife, “Did you see that? It was just like he went up in a puff of smoke.”
A patrol car pulled up with the Edward’s sons. The couple described the man they had just seen. The police searched but did not find anyone.
A police officer asked Abbey to tell him what had happened.
Abbey’s Account
She said as she had gotten out of the car to follow her family an old woman wearing a shawl had grabbed and then dragged her into the church.
There was a mass being held in the church and people dressed in “funny” clothes surrounded her.
The women wore long dresses and big decorated hats.
The men were all dressed in black pants with waistcoats and high stiff collars.
When Abbey went to scream for her father the old woman put her hand over her mouth so she couldn’t make a sound.
Then a tall man with a long coat and top hat came in. He took her from the old woman and walked her back to her parents.
The police officer asked her if the man had said anything to her. “Just that he had been dead a long time,” Abbey replied.