Murder of Jeff Curry

African American man Jeff Curry had a verbal argument with Frank Powell and Frank's son about a job he's done with them. During the argument, it was said he swore to kill Frank. Near the Blue Creek, Alabama mines he concealed himself and waited by a road that he knew Frank would pass. He was caught and arrested before he could try to kill Frank.

On the night of March 19, 1888,  Constables David Rainey and Sam Redden were going to bring him to Birmingham jail. They claimed that 12 disguised white men overtook the guards and took Jeff from them. The mob of men then tied Jeff to a large tree. They then shot him to death. It was said that his body was riddled with bullets. The men then disappeared into the woods.

SOURCES:
News and Observer- March 21, 1888
The Tuskaloosa Gazette- March 22, 1888
The Times and News- March 22, 1888
The Troy Messenger- March 29, 1888
The Columbia Recorder- March 29, 1888
Birmingham Watch- Feb. 29, 2019

End Of Watch: Murder of Officer Denson Hudson

48-year-old Police Officer Denson Hudson and his partner Fred Risener were working in the early morning of March 18, 1941, in Apopka, Florida. Shortly after 1 a.m. the two officers spotted an open window at the Standard Oil Plant (it's now the Catfish Place) and approached the building.

There were two burglars inside the building and were breaking into the company safe when the officers stumbled upon them. The two unknown men would shoot at the officers with rifles hitting Officer Hudson. He was taken to the hospital but died from his injuries that night.

SOURCES:

Project Cold Case

Officer Down Memorial Page

The Apopka Voice 

MISSING: Thomas Clyde O'Daniel

 

On May 15, 1958, 29-year-old Thomas O'Daniel called his family and told them he was hitchhiking to Yuma, Arizona from Pheonix which is a distance of around 200 miles. There is little information in this case. 

Thomas is a white male and was 29-years-old at the time. He is 5'10" to 6'0" and around 170 to 190 lbs. He has strawberry blonde hair and green eyes. He has flesh tags behind his ears. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Charley Project

National Missing Person Directory

Murder of James Harry Hartley

On March 13, 1954, the body of 33-year-old Union leader James Hartley was found in a shallow grave in the desert on Paradise Rd. near the old Los Angeles Highway in Sloan, Nevada. He had been killed with a gunshot wound to the head.

His car was also found in Los Angeles across from the sheet metal worker's union hall. The car was found to be shot through the windshield. Several leads were pursued related to Union activity. Including one man who was suspected at one point, but never arrested or charged with the crime.

SOURCES:
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

Find a Grave

Reno Gazette-Journal March 25, 1954 

The Charlotte Observer April 6, 1954

Reno Gazette-Journal October 22, 1954

Unsolved Murder of Donald Keyes

On March 8, 1955, 24-year-old Donald Keyes was working the night shift at the Checker Oil Station in Columbus, Ohio. It was believed that between 1:30 a.m. and 1:40 a.m. was when the robbery and murder occurred. He was forced to lie on the floor in the storage room with his head on a pillow and the murderer shot him in the side of the face.

Donald was going to college at the time and was studying to become a teacher. He left behind two young children and his wife.

SOURCES:
Dispatch
Ohio Attorney General