Hot water turning on by itself in a Sedalia, Missouri, home after the father’s death
[name withheld], calling from Sedalia, Missouri, recounts a strange event that happened in 1967, shortly after their father died. Two weeks after the funeral, the hot water in the family bathroom began running on its own. It kept doing so even after the plumbing was replaced. The event caused significant emotional distress for the family, and they eventually sold the house.
This clip comes from the source recording. AI chose where it starts and ends, so it may start or end a little early or late. The word-for-word transcript is not published. You can hear the source recording on the Internet Archive (file “Ghost to Ghost 2004.mp3”, starting at 1:52:07). Is this you, or someone you know? Ask for a correction or removal.
The story as told
[name withheld] recounts that in 1967, when they were nine years old, their father suffered from bone cancer and was often soaking his legs in the bathtub with the hot water on. After his death, the family experienced a series of unexplained incidents. Two weeks after his funeral, while their mother and a friend were in the kitchen, the hot water turned on in the bathroom. The sudden activation startled the guests, and the mother had to turn the water off by hand. It was not a single incident. [name withheld] states, [quote withheld] To fix the problem, they hired a plumber to install new plumbing, but the water kept turning on. The family wondered about the cause, asking whether it was the spirit of their father or whether an [quote withheld] [name withheld] says the incident hurt their childhood emotionally, and the family sold their home. Although they moved, [name withheld] says they still feel a [quote withheld]
Reported events, in order
- 0:33
The father, who had bone cancer, regularly soaked his legs in hot water in the bathtub.
- 0:55
Two weeks after the father’s funeral, the hot water turned on by itself in the bathroom.
- 1:09
Family members saw it happen multiple times, even after the plumbing was professionally replaced.
- 2:06
The family, including the caller, felt the incidents emotionally ruined their childhood, and they later moved out of the house.
- 2:37
The caller reports still getting a strange feeling when driving past the former home.
Claims
Each claim is labeled as something the person telling the story noticed (observation), what they made of it (interpretation), something others told them (hearsay), or something the host said (host statement).
- observation· 0:55
The hot water turned on by itself in the bathroom.
- hearsay· 1:09
It happened multiple times in the family, even after the plumbing was replaced.
- interpretation· 1:23
The caller suggests the cause might be their father haunting them or a presence possessing the home.
Scores, with reasons
An AI model gave these scores using a fixed set of scoring rules (scoring-v1). They are editorial judgments and rough guides, not the odds that anything paranormal happened. How scoring works.
The story is very specific about the cause and how long it lasted. But the core event is a purely mechanical action (water turning on), which is often hard to explain, and that lends moderate credibility.
Evidence for and against
- A concrete timeline of the father’s condition.
- The experience is said to have been shared by the whole family.
- The event is tied solely to a mechanical system (plumbing).
- The cause of the water flow.
- 1:09
What the model inferred (not said on air): The specific timeline and the physical evidence of the ongoing incident suggest a real experience, though the cause remains unexplained.
The evidence consists solely of the caller’s firsthand story and claims that the family saw it too. No independent physical evidence was examined on air.
Evidence for and against
- A firsthand report of the event.
- No physical objects (photos, audio) were presented for examination.
- No outside verification or physical documentation.
- 0:55
What the model inferred (not said on air): Because the story rests entirely on spoken reports, its strength remains low.
The story is emotionally unsettling because of the father’s tragic death and the lingering dread, but it lacks extreme physical threat or supernatural violence.
Evidence for and against
- The event “wrecked my childhood.”
- The strange event continued after plumbing repairs.
- No physical danger or attacks are reported.
- The exact level of distress is reported only subjectively.
- 2:06
What the model inferred (not said on air): The combination of tragedy and unexplained, persistent activity creates a strongly unsettling mood.
Water turning on is a common motif. But the specific setting, a persistent hot water event tied to a terminal illness and the failure of ordinary repairs, gives it a distinctive, focused quality.
Evidence for and against
- The link between the dead man’s treatment (soaking in hot water) and the strange event (hot water flowing).
- The strange event continuing beyond the physical structure.
- Water and plumbing oddities are a recognized motif.
- How common this is within the archive.
- 0:55
What the model inferred (not said on air): The story is more detailed than a simple ghost sighting, focusing on a specific mechanical or physical strange event.
Scoring confidence 0.95 · analysis confidence 0.90 · checked against outside sources: no · evidence available: The caller’s firsthand story.; Claimed experiences of the family.. The originality score blends the model's score (75) with how rare the story's details are across the archive. This method is still provisional.
Ordinary explanations to consider
These are possibilities only. None is a finding about what happened.
- Vibrating or settling pipes activating a water valve. · The first event happens in the bathroom plumbing system, and the activity continues even after the plumbing is completely replaced.
What stands out
The event is not a dramatic sight or sound. It is an unexplained, recurring, and upsetting physical act (water running) that continued even after a major repair to the home’s structure.
Related stories
Matched by shared recurring details, categories, and wording.