Suicide victims have been mistaken for Halloween decorations!
I'm sure you've heard the urban legend of a person hanging themselves from a tree branch and no one noticing because they think it's a Halloween decoration. It's an urban legend so prevalent that it was the inspiration for the opening scene of the original Scream.
But, did you know it's also a true story? There are at least 2 documented cases of this happening. The corpse of a 42-year-old woman was on display for HOURS in Delaware, because people thought it was just a Halloween display. She hung herself 15 feet from the ground, close to a busy road where she could be seen by passing vehicles! She was first noticed at around 7:30 and the police didn't investigate until 11:00!
There was another case in California, of a 75-year-old woman that was sitting on her balcony for 3 whole days because her neighbors thought she was a halloween display. She had actually shot herself IN THE EYE and was slumping over her chair. The case was ruled an apparent suicide.
