On the 21st December 2005 one of the most baffling mysteries of our time occurred in Bangkok, Thailand when Mark Sullivan, an Australian businessman, disappeared in full view of CCTV security cameras on the emergency stairwell of a modern, downtown, high rise building.
The mystery deepened when Mr. Sullivan’s broken skeletal remains were discovered six months later in a small, bricked up chamber not far away from where he was last seen alive. Prior to the discovery, the chamber was completely sealed, nothing could have got in…nothing could have got out.
But most disturbingly of all, the CCTV images show that Mr. Sullivan was terrified out of his wits and was apparently being pursued up the staircase by someone…or something unseen.
George Rees, a talented writer and loyal friend committed suicide shortly after the completion of his drama-documentary film, The 28th Floor, based on his investigative report of the strange disappearance of Mark Sullivan. Unfortunately, the film may never be shown, distribution has been suspended indefinitely following the sudden death of journalist, Claire Foster; she was just thirty-four years old.
Ms. Foster was a feature writer with Devil's Trooper magazine, a monthly, English language publication with offices in Bangkok that investigates and often debunks reports of strange phenomena. She had recently completed a feature article attacking both George Rees's movie and his book and a tenuous connection had been mooted at George's inquest that he may have been depressed over the adverse criticism. Having known George for better than twelve years, if anything, he would much sooner have been thrashed by the cold, cruel barbs of vilification than suffer the netherworld of apathy and obscurity. George was many things but sensitve to the often half baked views of people who are paid to professionaly manipulate superlatives of both the positve and negative variety he most certainly was not.
No, there was something else. I saw him on several occasions both during the time he was investigating Sullivan's disappearance and while he was involved in the film project and he seemed like the same old George Rees but the last time I ever saw him, some six weeks before he jumped from the balcony of his sixteenth floor apartment (several witnesses saw him teetering on the top of the safety railing seconds before he fell to his death) he looked gaunt and distracted. "Just a virus Jack," were his words.
They found a copy of his abridged manuscript in his printer tray. Was he trying to say something? I intend to publish it soon. Just try and bear in mind that George Rees was an extremely level headed man, a quality essential to the armoury of the investigative journalist wouldn't you think?
Read the investigative report on the unexplained horror of the 28th floor in the book, The 28th Floor presented by Jack Weston. Warning - this report is not for the faint-hearted and should not be read while alone in your office late at night!
