Episode 141: Curses, Powwowing, and Murder: The Hex Hollow Case

Nestled in the quiet farmland of York County, Pennsylvania, there’s a place once known only to locals as Rehmeyer’s Hollow. But after the chilling events of November 1928, the world came to know it by a darker name: Hex Hollow. It was a case that blurred the line between folklore and felony, between ritual and reality—a brutal murder born from fear, superstition, and belief in the unseen.

At the heart of this story was Nelson Rehmeyer, a respected powwow doctor and healer among the Pennsylvania Dutch. Powwowing—a tradition blending Christian prayer, folk remedies, and centuries-old magic—had long been practiced by German-speaking settlers in the region. For some, powwowers were a blessing. But for others, they carried a latent threat: if you could heal with words and charms, what else could you do?

John Blymire, once a boy healed by Rehmeyer himself, grew up deeply rooted in these traditions. But when his own life began to unravel—his health failing, his wife leaving, and his charms losing their power—he became convinced he was cursed. And the face behind that curse, he believed, was Rehmeyer’s. With the help of a teenage factory boy and a desperate farmhand, Blymire set out to confront the man he once revered.

Their plan, fuelled by fear and ritual, turned deadly. What began as an attempt to steal a book and a lock of hair to break a hex ended in murder and arson. Rehmeyer was beaten, strangled, and his body set on fire—though strangely, the flames never consumed the house. His death sent shockwaves through Pennsylvania and beyond.

The resulting trial captivated the nation. Testimony ranged from childhood visions to cursed livestock, and the role of folklore in the courtroom drew as much attention as the crime itself. Were these men driven by delusion—or by belief so strong it left no room for doubt?

In the end, all three were convicted, though their fates diverged in the years that followed. Blymire and Curry were eventually paroled, Hess served his time, and the house where it all happened still stands—preserved by Rehmeyer’s descendants as a reminder of the strange, powerful history that clings to Hex Hollow.

This case is more than a footnote in true crime history. It’s a window into a community where old beliefs never fully faded. It reminds us that fear doesn’t always wear the face of a monster—and that sometimes, belief alone can be deadly.

Listen now to the full story of the York Witchcraft Murder, the death of Nelson Rehmeyer, and the world of powwowing that shaped it all.