Two eerie stories involving crash victims

HUNTINGTON - Two tales of the fatal football flight send shivers down the spine.

Attorney Jim St. Clair, who settled wrongful death claims of team physician Ray Hagley and wife Shirley Hagley, told one about a ring in a Dec. 4 interview.

St. Clair said Ray had given Shirley an unusual diamond ring. He said Ray insured it.

"We couldn't find it," St. Clair said.

He said other wives who saw Shirley at lunch in North Carolina told him she wore the ring and showed it to them.

St. Clair said, "I filed a claim and the insurer paid off."

He said, "In one of the many moves of their children, a little box fell from a closet shelf. They said, what's this? They opened it and it was Shirley's ring."

He said he asked the jeweler who sold it if he made a paste copy. He said the jeweler told him he did not.

He said, "I had four signed affidavits from people who swore they saw it on her finger."

Another spooky tale comes from "Kismet Consummated," a book by Marti Carelli Gilbert, widow of assistant coach Albert C. Carelli Jr.

The Marshall Hall of Fame restaurant keeps the book in a display case. According to the author the title means fate fulfilled.

Coach Carelli left two sons, three-year-old Vincent and 10-month-old Ronald.

As the plane flew toward Huntington, Marti tended the baby at home and Dawn the babysitter read with Vincent on the couch.

When news of the crash reached Marti, she told Dawn.

Dawn said she had to tell Marti something. Dawn said that as she read with Vincent, out of the blue he said, "I hear my daddy's voice."

Dawn told Marti she asked Vincent what he said, and he said, "I told you, I hear my daddy's voice."

Marti asked Dawn if Vincent told her what his daddy said. Dawn said she did not ask him.