Laredo, Texas is Haunted

The headless horseman in Texas? Yup.

In the 1800s, the area between the Nueces and Rio Grande Rivers was in dispute between Mexico and Texas. It came to be known as a lawless no man’s land ripe with murderers and thieves - no matter their nationality. This led to a cattle rustler and horse thief known simply as Vidal to frequent the area.

Vidal made the mistake of stealing a herd containing mustangs that belonged to a Texas Ranger named Creed Taylor. Now, Taylor was not known for his manners or pleasantries. In fact, he had quite the reputation as a killer himself. He and another ranger, Bigfoot Wallace, went after Vidal.

Eventually, they caught up to him near present-day Laredo. The pair had already tried other violent deterrents such as hanging, public shooting, and even chopping up the captured criminals into pieces to use as animal bait. The two Rangers decided something more drastic was needed to put fear into any local would-be thieves. Ignoring his pleas for mercy, Taylor decapitated Vidal. Then he and Wallace lashed the corpse to the back of a mule.

To this day, the locals say when summer nights are at their hottest and the breeze dwindles down to nothing, you can hear the hoofbeats of the headless rider as he searches for his lost cabeza.

So stay off the streets of Laredo at night, lest El Muerto decides to take yours.