Murder of Eugenio Lopez

On December 15, 1914, 41/42-year-old Eugenio Lopez was at his home at 225 Conejos St. in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Two men would knock on Eugenio's door. When he answered he was either shot or stabbed in the chest which went through his right lung. He would then flee to his neighbor's home for help. The two men proceeded to burn down Eugenio's home. They may have had

He would die on December 31st from the injuries.

I could not find if the two men were found and prosecuted for the murder.

SOURCES:
Find a Grave

The Ordway New Era December 25, 1914

Gilpin Observer December 17, 1914

Murder of Ann Wycherly

 In 1837 28-year-old Ann Wycherly lived in a workhouse with her two illegitimate children in Drayton, 
England. She was known to have mistreated her oldest daughter Ann who was 3/4-years-old. On December 14, 1837, a James Freeman would see Ann and the two children leaving the workhouse in the early afternoon. 

By 6 Ann was exhausted and knocked on the door of Sarah Newbrook asking to rest. Sarah allowed the single mother to do so and noted that she just had an infant with her. 

On December 22nd the body of young Ann was found by William Poole, a farm laborer, in a water pit on his employer's land near Chipnal. He went to tell Mr. Butters of the body and the two pulled the young girl out. 

An inquest for the girl's identity was done at the Noah pub and William Crutchley, the governor of Drayton, recognized the young girl as young Ann Wycherly. Ann would be confronted and arrested for the murder.

They would show her the body and Ann seemed reluctant to look or touch her daughter. When asked why the girl was murdered Ann said that Charles Gilbert, father of her youngest, persuaded her to. She said Charles helped get the girl into the pit and then threw tiles at her

In March the Assizes would happen. Ann (Mother) would get capital punishment and would be set to hang. When told she was to be executed she told the court that she was with child. An examination was quickly done and it was found she was not pregnant. 

There were efforts to obtain reprieve of capital punishment, not because of innocence as she was seen as guilty, but for her feeble mind and being convinced to kill her daughter. The judge who presided the case saw the punishment befitting the crime though.

On May 5, 1838, Ann would be hanged in Stafford. The crowd that came was unusually small, but it's likely because people believed Ann would be reprieved for the murder. 

SOURCES:

Capital Punishment UK (list of executions)

Capital Punishment UK (Story of murder and execution)

True Crime Library

The Observer March 19, 1838

The Hull Packet; and East Riding Times March 23, 1838

The Standard May 2, 1838

Berrow's Worcester Journal May17 1838

Murder of Gilbert Caleb Amos

On December 12, 1924, around 10 pm 21-year-old William Bressington would go to the home of the Amos family in Bristol, England. He was known to the family. The three Amos boys were home, 12-year-old William, 8-year-old Gilbert, and 2-year-old Walter. William B. would tell the oldest boy that their aunt Lizzie was looking for him. William A. told him that he could not go because he was in charge of babysitting the baby. Their mother was Christmas shopping at the time. 

Gilbert went instead volunteered to go instead. He stated that he would go with Gilbert and find out what their Aunt wanted and bring him back to convey the message. However, this was not what happened. The Aunt did not send William B. to get any of the boys.

William B. instead of bringing Gilbert to their aunts he brought him to Cousin's Field in Staple Mill. He did the unimaginable to the boy. He would sexually assault the young boy and then strangle him to death with a necktie. It was possible the sexual assault also happened while he was dead.

William would leave Gilbert's body and loiter near Derham's boot factory where his father Charles came across him. William told his father "I have done it, Daddy. I can't tell you, but I'll take you to the place and how you." William would bring his father to the crime scene. Charles seeing the young boy's body began to beat his son. A bystander had to intervene to get him to stop beating him. 

William would be arrested and confessed to his crimes again. On February 16, 1925, he would appear at the Bristol Assizes before Justice Roche. He confessed to the murder, but not the sexual assault. He claimed that a man named "James" had asked him to fetch the boy. That "James" had done that.


He would plead insanity. In 1924, William Bressington was discharged from the army for being "feeble-minded. He was trying to use his fondness for women's clothes and makeup for his defense. He also used his family's mental illness. His grandfather died in an asylum and a cousin and uncle were in one at the time. A Dr Robert Phillips testified that William did fit the legal definition of insanity. 

This however did not work and the Jurors found him guilty of murder. He was set to be executed. On March 31, 1925, William was hanged at the gallows in Bristol Prison by Thomas Pierrepoint.

SOURCES:

British Executions

Evening Express December 13, 1925

Western Daily Press December 23, 1924

Western Daily Press February 17, 1925

Western Daily Press March 23, 1925

Bristol Post August 28, 2022

UNIDENTIFIED: December 11, 1957 Florida City, Florida "H. Daniels"

 On December 11, 1957, skeletal remains were found in a homeless camp located 100 feet south of Lucy Street and 11th Avenue in Florida City, Florida. There was no form of identification at the scene, but there was a laundry slip with the name "H. Daniels". According to the scene, it's believed that he had died from wood-alcohol poisoning as there were sterno cans found. It's believed he died weeks prior to discovery.

John Doe was a black male between 40 to 50-years-old. He was 5'5" and had black hair. He was wearing Dark colored pants and a khaki shirt. There were other pieces of clothing at the scene. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network

Murder of Robert Allan

 On December 1, 1904, 34-year-old Robert Allan was at his home at Drumshangie Farm between Greengairs and Airdrie, Scotland with his wife and 3-week-old child. This was the first night that they did not have any servants at the farm. 

Just after they went to bed some people came up to the window and disturbed them. This irritated  Robert and he opened the door holding his double-barrelled fowling piece. He fired into the sky to scare them away. This however did not happen as the people became more roudy. He went back in put on his trousers and went back out with his gun. He would fire another shot and never be seen alive again. It's believed he had followed the men down the roadway to where the trolley had been drawn.

He would be found dead on an old pit road leading from the farm to Watstown. He was lying across a track partially on his right side with one arm underneath him. His gun was a few feet away from him resting on the embankment on the road. It was found that he had been shot in the stomach. It's believed he was shot with his own gun. 

One theory was that he had stumbled in the dark and accidentally shot himself, but his guy was found several feet away and the locks of the gun were found to be empty of cartridge cases. The other is that Robert and one of the men fought over the gun and he was shot in the struggle. That the killer moved him and his gun from their original positions. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Suspicious Death of Martha Mansfield

Martha Mansfield was determined to become an actress at the age of 14. Her first role would happen in a play of Little Women in 1912. She would act, sing and dance in some plays, and model in photographs before being signed by Essanay Studios.

On November 29, 1923, 24-year-old Martha was working at a location in San Antonio, Texas. She was playing the role of Agatha Warren in the movie The Warrens of Virginia. Because it was based in the Civil War she was wearing a costume based on the time. Which was of hoop skirts and flimsy ruffles. 

After filming was done Martha went to her car where her chauffeur was waiting. Her skirt would burst into flames. Those around tried to save her. The chauffeur tried to take her clothes off and the leading man Wilfred Lytell threw his heavy overcoat onto her. 

Both Martha and the Chaufer were burned. Martha's body was severely burned, but her face was not because of Wilfred's jacket. The Chaufer's hands were badly burned. They would be taken to the hospital. However the following day Martha would die. It was from burns of all extremities, general toxemia, and suppression of urine. 

It's unknown what exactly happened. It was known that a match was the culprit of the fire, but it was unknown who had done it. Some witnesses stated that they saw the match go through the window. Others theorized that Martha was trying to smoke and accidentally dropped the match. However, her mother stated that she didn't smoke and that it in fact made it uncomfortable. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

Muskogee Daily Pheonix  and Times-Democrat November 30, 1923

Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, the Evening News November 30, 1923

Pensacola News Journal December 1, 1923

News 4 San Antonio Nevember 30, 2020

INFANTICIDE: November 22, 1957, Dublin Virginia Baby John Does

On November 22, 1957, the bodies of two infant boys were found in a box recently buried in an unmarked grave near a cemetery in Dublin, Virginia. It is not stated how the boys had died or when they died. It's possible that the two were twins.

The baby John Does were both African American Infants. The boys were 18 inches long and one was 5 lbs and the other was 4 lbs.

SOURCES:
NamUs Boy 1
NamUs Boy 2