In early September of 1876, a body was found washed up on High Hill Beach in Oyster Bay, New York. The man had been in the water for two or three days and had been murdered. His head and right arm had been cut off roughly. He was found wearing good quality clothing, but there was nothing to identify him. He was buried on the beach where he washed up. His death date is labeled as September 1st.
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On August 27, 1900, a white man killed a black man in Conway, Florida. The Victim resided and worked at the Turpentine Camp in Conway. He remained unidentified and buried in an unmarked grave at the Potter's Field of Greenwood Cemetary in Orlando, Florida. There is little information in this case.
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On August 24, 1880, a baby girl was found dead in the jail yard on Vine St. in Worcester, Massachusetts. She was about a month old and had died from exposure.
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Photograph was taken by Robert K. Wilson 1934 |
The skeleton was believed to belong to a man in his 40s. It was likely he had died between 1951 and 1954, but it was unknown how he had died. He had been apparently buried in a cement tube (no sign of decomposition in the tube) in an area that used to be a shooting range for the U.S. and British soldiers during WWII. Residents were asked questions and only two came forward stating there was a large mound there between 1952 and 1955, but it was believed to have been to do with construction so no one investigated it.
John Doe was a man in his 40's and was around 5'8". All of his teeth, but two lower ones were found, he may have had trouble chewing. There were no other pieces of clothing other than socks found with the body, it's believed the socks may be the only thing he was wearing.
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DV Jan. 13, 2019
On 18 August 1944 around 4 p.m. 6-year-old Sheila Fox was seen leaving her school in Farnworth, Lancashire, England. Companions of Shiela would state that they would see the girl with a man with a bike outside of a bakery. Some accounts say she was on his upturned handlebars others said she was walking with him.
One witness claimed they had talked with Sheila while she was with the man. Sheila told this person that she was "going with the man". This behavior would have been strange for the shy girl if she did not initially know or was comfortable with the man.
Sheila's parents had initially hoped that she would return home. They did not want to believe that their daughter had met with some sort of foul play and instead had gone to London to meet friends. According to neighbors later they changed their mind and acknowledged that something had happened to their daughter.
The Man was described as being a well-dressed, clean-shaven male with a slim build between 25 to 30-years-old.
In 2001 a man who was 13-years-old at the time of the disappearance came to the police and told them he suspected his neighbor had hurt Sheila. He had seen him around that time digging in his garden. The garden was dug up, but there was no evidence. It was found out the suspected neighbor had been convicted of rape in 1950 and in the 1960's child rape. The man was deceased by then and his son stated he had no knowledge of anything requiring a police search. It's unknown if he had anything to do with Sheila's disappearance.
Sheila is a white female and was 6-years-old at the time. She was wearing a blue-flowered frock, a green coat, stockings and shoes, and pink bows in her hair.
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On August 17, 1907, an infant was found dead in Tombstone, Arizona. He was a white newborn believed to be alive for hours and died just an hour before his body was found. He had been asphyxiated.
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In the summer of 1933 45-year-old Anna Ulm was staying at a cottage on Lake Hopatcong in Mount Arlington, New Jersey with her sister. On the morning of August 13, 1933, Anna told her sister she was going to go pick flowers. She did not return back that night and her sister called the police and reported her missing. Searchers were sent out to find the woman.
Anna would be found hanging from a tree by searchers. It was initially believed that she had committed suicide, but it was to be false. Someone had beat her with a heavy stone crushing her head with it. They then hung her from the tree possibly hoping that they would think she had killed herself.
It's unknown what the motive for the murder was. She was not sexually assaulted and robbery wasn't as her two diamond rings were untouched. One theory was that someone may have targeted her because she worked for her brother-in-law who was a chiropractor. At the time there had been two bombings of Chiropractor offices in Patterson.
In August of 1922 several small boys playing near the S.P. tracks and Edwards Ranch four miles east of Santicoy, California. The boy noted a strong odor and found a body. They would then tell S.S. Beaman who inturn informed the Sheriff.
It was determined that the body belonged to a man and he had recently committed suicide with a .32 caliber. There was a pile of ashes near the body presuming that the man may have burned anything that would identify him. His glasses also had a name that was scratched off. He was found parlty undressed and wrapped himself up in some blankets. It was as if he had gone to sleep for the night only to kill himself. He was recognizable, but his features were swollen
He was a male around 30-years-old. He had fairly good clothes, blanket, $9 in change, and a watch.
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On August 8, 1922, 28-year-old Ernest Shands would attack his wife 29-year-old Katie with a hatchet. He had the weapon hidden in their home on 225 D street in Washingtion D.C. He had previously threatened to hurt his wife and was jealous of her. On this day he told her to "change her ways" and in response she laughed at him which angered him. He would grab the hatchet and hit her about the head with it.
Katie did not automatically die from this. Police told Ernest that she was still alive and he was quoted telling police "If she ain't dead let me go over and finish the job." Katie would not live long as her wounds were too severe she would die 8 days later on the 16th.
It only required two hours for Ernest to be convicted. He would then be executed on March 9, 1923.
SOURCES:
The Washington Times September 17, 1922
The Evening Star September 17, 1922
The Evening Star September 19, 1922
The Washington Herald November 16, 1922
The Washington Herald December 15, 1922
The Evening Star December 22, 1922
The Washington Herald December 23, 1922
On August 2, 1891, 10-year-old Florence Sutton was home with her mother in Lake Creek Township, Carolina. His mother would send Florence to a neighbor to get a gallon of cider. James Johnson would visit their home.
Florence would come across John on the road and he would attack her. He would sexually assault the girl and strangled her to death. She would be reported missing that night. A search would be done for Florence and James, knowing they wouldn't find her, joined the search.
James was suspected (I couldn't find a reason why) so he was being carefully watched. He would quickly bury Florence in the woods. He would place the young girl face down in her grave. He buried her in such a shallow grave her foot stuck out.
On August 4th John would flee. He would be soon caught in Parkersburg about 10 miles from where Florence was murdered. A Mr. Parker saw John pass his place. He recognized him as being a wanted man and pursued and caught him. John would first deny that it was him and then he would confess that it was and allegedly confessed to the crime and indicated that Florence's father Albert and another man Lawson Bryant was involved.
There were talks of lynching him in Parkersburg, but it did not happen. He would be handed over to Balden and placed under a strong guard. It was found and believed that Albert and Lawson were not involved in the murder, so John was the only one put to trial.
James would plea guilty and was sentenced to death. He would be executed on December 11, 1891, in Elizabethtown.
SOURCES:
Legal Executions in North Carolina and South Carolina pg 38
Wilmington Morning Star August 4, 1891
The Wilmington Morning Star August 5, 1891
Fayetteville Weekly Observer August 6, 1891
The Ashville Weekly Citizen August 13, 1891
Greensboro North State August 13, 1891
The Weekly Star August 14, 1891
The Roxboro Courier November 12, 1891