By Tim Binnall

The mysteries of Coral Castle, Appalachian folklore, and the JFK assassination were among the fascinating topics explored this past week on Coast to Coast AM. And, here at the C2C website, we told you about an eerie phantom doorbell ringer in India, a Fiji Mermaid found on a British beach, and a wild encounter between Florida cops and a belligerent clown. Check out our round-up of highlights from the past week ... In Coast You Missed It.

Appalachian folklore was in the spotlight on Tuesday night's program as author Mark Muncy discussed the legends and cryptids of the Smoky Mountains. Noting the region's ancient history, he observed the area is the setting for a myriad of strange stories that have been passed down over centuries. Among the eerie tales recounted by Muncy during the evening was that of the Moon-Eyed People, said to be a civilization of beings believed to live underground and a Bigfoot-like creature known as the 'Boojum.' He also shared several classic Appalachian ghost stories such as Knoxville's skeletal-face spirit dubbed 'Dark Aggie' and an infamous apparition who, legend says, wanders a trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Two particularly eerie international mysteries made headlines this past week, beginning with a creepy case out of India. Residents of a city neighborhood found themselves on edge due to a ghostly woman, captured in action by a security camera, roaming around the community ringing doorbells and then dashing off into the darkness of the night. The chilling footage of her riddlesome rounds led some to suggest that she was a spirit, though others argued that she could have simply been a corporeal troublemaker. Meanwhile, in Thailand, supernatural speculation arose after a young boy was seemingly possessed and then vanished for several hours before inexplicably reappearing in front of his home where a sizeable search party had already extensively looked for him.

The many mysteries of the famed Florida attraction Coral Castle were explored on Wednesday night's program by researcher RL Poole. He marveled that the site's creator, Ed Leedskalnin, imbued it with several astronomical and physical peculiarities that continue to confound to this day. Poole specifically pointed to how the complex is aligned with an array of celestial objects and seemingly connected to a solar eclipse that occurred in 1923 when Coral Castle was constructed. As to the curious construction of the site, he suggested that Leedskalnin may have used sound resonance or magnetic manipulation to transport the seemingly immovable massive stones into place.

This past week saw a pair of stories featuring suspected cryptids that ultimately turned out to be not quite as fantastic as they first seemed. In Britain, a couple walking along a beach were gobsmacked when they stumbled upon what appeared to be the remains of a mermaid-like creature with a human head and a fish's body. While the weird find left them scratching their heads, the oddity was later identified in photos as a fabrication akin to the famed Fiji Mermaid. Later in the week, a National Weather Service photo of storm damage in Pennsylvania seemed to feature a Sasquatch lurking on the edge of a yard. However, closer inspection of the curiosity revealed it to be simply a Bigfoot-themed lawn decoration.

The JFK assassination was revisited on Monday night's show as investigative reporter Mark Shaw responded to the recent deluge of declassified files concerning the infamous event. Despite the voluminous amount of material now in the hands of researchers, he expressed disappointment with the myriad of unanswered questions that continue to surround the case. He also noted that the absence of journalist Dorothy Kilgallen in the files was particularly peculiar since she uncovered a considerable amount of information about the event. During his appearance, Shaw also argued against the belief that Oswald acted alone and possible new leads regarding Robert Kennedy's assassination.

Creepy clowns had something of a moment this past week with two of the troublemakers popping up in the news. Over in Northern Ireland, a misguided man who donned a harlequin mask and pointed a hunting knife at a group of people was forced to face the proverbial circus music after he was arrested and charged with several crimes related to the foolish incident. Not to be outdone on this side of the pond, Florida cops found themselves tangling with a creepy clown of their own when a man dressed like Ronald McDonald was reported trespassing in front of a shopping center. Wild bodycam footage of the arrest showed the belligerent bozo arguing and then scuffling with police before ultimately being taken down and arrested.

Coast Insiders can check out all this week's shows as well as the last seven years of C2C programs in our enormous archive. Not a Coast Insider yet? Sign up today.