A friend of Margaret's would witness the starving girl try to eat some spoiled cheese. In reaction, Mrs. Zimmerman hit the girl. They were cruel to the girl and she was starved. This resulted in her trying to survive on raw wheat.
On October 23, 1919, Zimmerman's asked others to help search for the 7-year-old girl. They claimed that they had not seen her in at least 8 hours and had searched for her in the night, but was unsuccessful. She was supposed to have driven the cattle to be milked. When Zimmerman walked past a straw stack with other's search he was quoted saying "something tells me we will find her in that straw stack." On it was Margaret's body and after they found her he stated, "I know you will blame me for this, and everybody will blame me."
When looking at the body they found her to be more decomposed than she should have been. Looking at her stomach would only find evidence of raw wheat. She also had evidence of bruises, but it was believed she had starved to death. She also had to of been placed in the straw stack sometime after her death as she had been dead for a day or two.
Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman was then taken to trial. After the jury deliberated 30 minutes. The two were then sentenced 5 years.
Grand Forks Herald Dec. 2, 1919
Grand Forks Herald December 31, 1919
The Ward County Jan 1, 1920
The Bismarck Tribune Jan. 3, 1920
Grand Forks Herald Jan. 6, 1920
The Bismarck Tribune Jan. 6, 1920
The Ward County Independent Jan 8, 1920
The Bismarck Tribune Jan. 9, 1920
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