Murder of Catherine Mary Richards

In 1878 20-year-old Myron Buel worked on William Richard's farm in Plainfield, New York. Myron would supposedly fall in love with William's daughter, 14-year-old Catherine. He would even ask Catherine to marry him and she refused him. This would change his motivation he would then begin to make improper lewd suggestions and comments toward her. He had also begun to grope the girl.

This would stress and scare Catherine out so much that he would drive her to tears. She did not appreciate or want his advances. Catherine did not tell her parents but eventually threatened Myron that she would if he didn't stop. She however did tell her aunt who had informed her father. This led to his discharge, but he was allowed back after making a promise to not bother Catherine. 

On June 25, 1878, Myron and another worker, Daniel Bowen, were working in the hops field. At one point Myron would tell Daniel that his rubber boots were getting too hot and wanted to change them. Instead of changing his boots he would go and find Catherine.

Catherine was in the cheese house playing with her kittens. Knowing this he let out a calf planning to ask her to help him. He knew she would help him and he was going to trap her in the barn. When they were both inside he shut the door quickly and wrapped a rope around the girl's throat. He would then take a milking stool and hit her in the face with it. 

She was dead and he would sexually assault her. He would later describe it as "I then ravished her. She was dead but warm when I committed the crime.” He also stated that the motive was because he was in love with her and was mad and jealous she did not love him back. 

Myron would come back after 45 minutes. Daniel wondered about what took so long and asked him why. Myron would tell him that he had to put away a loose horse. 

At 5 pm 8-year-old Maggie, Catherine's younger sister, came home from school. Maggie would help prepare dinner and when it was done she would go to the hop field and blow the supper horn. Maggie would ask them where Catherine was. The men would tell her that they did not see her. They headed towards the barn to put their tools up.

They would find a bull that was loose behind the cheese house. The plan was that Daniel would hold the barn door open and Myron chase the bull in. However, when Daniel opened the door inside the bull's stall was Catherine's body. 

She had a large wound on her right cheek and her face was bruised. Daniel would stop the plan and show Myron the body.

When Myron went in he would exclaim “Oh, my stars! Oh, my Stars!”. 

At the time Catherine's sister, Maggie, and a housekeeper were the only two other people on the farm. Their parents and 13-year-old brother were not home and they were 14 miles away. The two would inform them of Catherine's death. When Maggie asked why and how Myron would respond that the bull must have gotten her. 

Myron would be the one to bring his victim into the house. All while repeatedly saying that it must have been a bull. It made sense she had a bruise on her face and bulls are not known to be the most gentle of animals. 

Maynor would then travel to where the mother and brother were. He would give them the news that Catherine had been killed by a bull. This tragedy would devastate her family. 

The coroner started with this in thought until he took a look at the body. A bull had not killed the young teenager. She had been sexually assaulted, strangled, and hit in the face with a blunt object. Myron would become suspect number one and charged with murder.  On one of her shoulders was a bruise from a thumbnail digging in, a bruise on her left groin, and her throat was bruised from the rope. No bull could have created these wounds.

On February 17, 1879, the trial would begin and lasted 10 days. The courtroom was crowded with spectators every day. He was referred to as the Boy Murderer despite him being an adult. He would maintain his innocence throughout the trial. During the trial, the unwanted advances on Cathrine and a disturbing conversation with Daniel would be brought up. Daniel would state that Myron had told him that the best way to outrage a girl is by using a strap and strangling her to keep her from screaming. Which was what happened in this case. 

 Following the arguments, the judge would inform the jury for an hour and a half. After four hours the jury came back with a guilty verdict. Myron's lawyer tried to move for a new trial because the jury was not informed of the several degrees of manslaughter. This was denied and he was set to be executed. 

Myron's lawyer argued with the Court of Appeals. This did not grant a new trial, but instead of being executed in April, he was set to be executed on November 14th. They would also petition the Governor for a reprieve, but it was rejected. 

Three days before his execution Myron got a conscious and admitted to what he did to the girl. That he loved her and that was why he killed her. He would confess this to his spiritual advisors and counsel. The scaffold that would bring him death was built under his window. He was asked if he wanted to move places, but he told them "Do as you like; I don't care". 

On November 14th Myron would go to sleep at 1 am. He would then wake up at 6 am. It was said that he seemed well-rested. He would then get visited by his parents and siblings and they said their goodbyes. He would ask his mother to look to the Savior. He seemed to be acting strong for his family. Around 10:36 he was brought to the scaffold. He gave no last words and was hanged around 10:40. He would die and stay hanged for 23 minutes. 

His body was handed over to his family. He would be buried with his brother who died right after the trial. 

SOURCES:

Murdered by Gaslight

Boston Post February 28, 1879

The Boston Globe November 14, 1879

New York Daily Herald November 15, 1879

June 18, 1979 Baltimore, Maryland (New Jersey) John Doe

On June 18, 1979, the remains of a man were found in a pump of a dry dock in Baltimore, Maryland. The dry dock was towed from New Jersey to Baltimore in the late 1950s. This would estimate that the man had died between 1929 and 1959.

John Doe was likely white between 40 to 65 years old. He was 5'11" with a muscular robust build. He had arthritis in his knees and had mouth stress suggestive of a mind instrument player or glass blower. Two china buttons were found with the body. The buttons were likely used on suspenders and were a style of WWII. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network

Unidentified Wiki

UNCLAIMED: Charles Watson

 On June 16, 1941, Charles Watson would either die or his body was found in Ellensburg, Washington. He is an unclaimed person meaning that he was not claimed by family. There is little information in this case.

Charles was a white male.

SOURCES:
NamUs

GHOSTS: Watercress Lady

Created in Bing Create

Pluckley, England is home to many hauntings. One of which is of a woman called the Watercress Lady. In the early 1900's likely the 1920's there was a gypsy woman who was living in Pluckley. Now Gypsies at the time were traveling nomads from either Ireland or Eastern Europeans living in wagons and at their stops would either earn money from trading things or working on local farms. This woman made a living gathering watercress and selling it to the villagers.

The old woman was known as an eccentric but harmless person. She was known for smoking her clay pipe and known to enjoy gin from her battered old flask. After the sun would set she would go to the crossroads bridge. She would sit on the walls enjoying the night air smoking her pipe and drinking her gin.

However one unfortunate night she fell asleep while doing so. She would spill her flask on herself and the pipe would fall and light her up. It was said that no one heard her screams. The next day she would be found as a pile of ashes with her flask and pipe nearby. Letting people know it was the Watercress Lady and she had a tragic end.

Even though the Watercress Lady's screams were not heard the night she died it was afterward. Her ghost would be seen many times after her death reliving her death. She would be covered in flames and her heartbreaking screams could be heard. Slowly however she stopped being a screaming ball of fire to a faint pink glow hovering over the place she burned to death.

SOURCES:
London Walking Tours

Ghost Connections

Ghosts Wiki

UNIDENTIFIED: June 1858 London, England Baby John Doe

 In June 1858, an unknown baby boy was found on Hardwick St in London, England. The boy was not a newborn and was around 6 months old making his birth around or in December. It's not stated if his death was murder or not. He was buried at the  City of London Cemetery on June 14, 1858.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

UNIDENTIFIED:June 11, 1952 Tama County, Iowa Baby John Doe

 On June 11, 1952, road construction was happening along the route of U.S. Highway 30, about four miles west of Tama, Iowa. A construction worker discovered a box 350 feet east of the Raven Creek bridge on the south side of the roadway. The box was a Wilson Packing Company box marked “chili.” and was wrapped with a cord.

The worker would open the box to find something horrifying. Inside the box were two packages wrapped with newspapers and tea towels. Inside the packages was the horrifying sight of the body of a baby boy. The other package was the afterbirth. It was found that the baby had blunt force trauma to the head and the baby was alive for 2 and a half to 3 hours.

They were the April 17 and May 8 issues of The Marshalltown Times-Republican. The newspapers had no mailing address attached, but two “stars” were discovered in the newspapers. This indicated they had been delivered on a Marshalltown city route. One tea towel had the embroidery of a lamb in one corner and the other had the numeral 49 in black.

John Doe was a white male newborn. He was fully developed. He weighed 8 lbs and had blonde hair.

SOURCES:
Iowa Cold Cases

Murder of Georgiana, William, Cary, Harriet, Henry, and George Brough

Queen Victoria ruled Great Britain for 63 years. For all nine of her children, that she had in 17 years, she had wet nurses for each one. On November 9, 1941, future King Edward VII was born, and by the bedside was his wet nurse, Mary Ann Brough.

She would be dismissed soon after because she did not seem to follow instructions and did not seem to be able to provide proper nutrients for the future king. Even though she was dismissed no one would have known that she would have killed her own children 13 years later. 

Mary was married to her husband George. He worked for the Royal family just as his father before him had. Their family lived in Esher, England. They had 7 children together,19-year-old Mary, 11-year-old Georgiana (Georgy), 8-year-old William, 7-year-old Cary, 4-year-old twins Harriet and Henry, and 2-year-old George, and an unnamed child.

 

In 1854 he would suspect her of an affair as she would go out often. He would hire a private detective to follow his wife. On May 29th she would be seen meeting another man at the tavern The two would also be seen entering a questionable house. George would accuse her of cheating. Feeling betrayed by the woman he loved he left on June 6th. He also told her that he was going to come back for the children and take them away from her.  He would refuse to talk or communicate with her. 

On the night of June 9th Mary was in a bad place. She would put the children to bed and try to go to sleep in a chair. Her oldest daughter would ask her to go to sleep in bed around 9 pm. She would go to bed. The children would ask her to bring them barley water up until midnight. 

Mary would look for a candle though she had one lit by the chair. She said there was a black cloud above her. She could not see, however. She then would think about slitting her own throat and would search in the dark for her husband's razor. She would find his keys and then find his razor. 

With the razor, she would go to her daughter Georgy and slit her throat without looking at her. There was no resistance. She would then go to Cary and do the same. The next victim was Henry and he would say "Don't mother" and she would tell him "I must" before slitting his throat. She would move onto Bill turn him over and do the same. He never woke up. Harriet and George were the last ones and there was no resistance. Harriet however struggled the most as she died. Mary would then slit her own throat. 

She said that she lay there for a long time and then went to get a drink. She said that the black cloud was gone. It then hit her on what she did so she placed something bloody in the window because she could not call out to anyone. She then undid the bolt to the front door.

On the morning of June 10th two men, Mager and Peasley, were walking past the Brough home and spotted something shocking. There was a blood-soaked pillow on the second-story back window sill. The two men would notify neighbors of there being possible trouble at the home. They would first try to ring the doorbell, but no one answered. The landlady would come and do the same, but more urgently. 

Mary would then come up to a window and wave to them with a towel. One of the men would scale the wall and let the others in. They would come up to the house. Mary would not let them in as the door was locked. The man would see a ladder and climb through the window with the bloody pillowcase. 

Mary would come up to the top of the stairs to the man's sight and see her more clearly. She was a mess covered in blood. When she turned to him he saw that there was a wound on her throat. He went back down the ladder and someone went to get the doctor. 

John Crockford was in his garden when this happened. he spotted the commotion and they explained to him what had happened. He would also climb up the ladder and would go into the room of the bloody pillow. 

Mary was lying on her side in the room. In one of the beds was one of the children. The house was a bloody mess. He would then make his way to the front door to unlock it. Passing one of the rooms he would see two dead at the end of a bed. He would notice that there was a pair of bloody boots and stockings under a table by the door. The lock and door handle also was covered in blood. He would leave the house and inform them that the children were dead.

 Mary was still alive and bleeding out. She would be saved from her attempted suicide. 

19-year-old Mary and her father would then see the children at their funeral. They were both extremely saddened by the tragedy. Mary would have been another victim if she had been in the home that night. Mary Sr would will all of her items to her remaining child.

While recovering she would be charged with murder. On August 8th she would go to the Surrey Assizes. She would admit that she did not want her children taken away from her. She would use a defense of insanity and the jury agreed with this as they returned with a verdict of not guilty on the grounds of insanity. 

She would be ordered to be detained at her Majesty's Pleasure. 

SOURCES:
Murderpedia
Ranker

Newcastle Weekly Courant June 16, 1854

Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser June 17, 1854

The Halifax Courier and Guardian August 12, 1854
The Sun April 24, 2018

MISSING: Mary Belle "Mary Beth" Henley

 

On June 5, 1951, 25-year-old Mary Belle Henley was last seen in Witchita, Kansas. There is little information in this case. She May go by Mary Beth.

Mary is a white female and was 25-years-old at the time. She's 5'8" to 5'9" and 125lbs to 135lbs. She has brown hair and brown eyes. She has a mole on her chin.

SOURCES:
NamUs

680 to 780 Hereford, England Man

 In late 2016 and early 2017, Archeological work by Headland Archeology's Midlands and West Office was done in Hereford, England in the College Cloisters beside Hereford Cathedral. They were trying to make improvements to the building and facilities. 

During this time they were able to excavate three skeletal remains. These three were radiocarbon dated to the 7th and 8th centuries. This was an interesting find as out of all 2456 burials excavated only one other person was found to be from the same time period.  They were found at a depth of around two meters within an area formerly occupied by the 15th-century Custos Lodge.

It was found that the three skeletons were of one male, one female, and one juvenile whose gender was unknown. I could not find information about the child and female, but the male had died a brutal death. 

The man was between 35 to 46 years old. He had lived and died between 680 and 780 AD. He had been stabbed at least 4 to 5 times with two of them being fatal on their own. However one of the wounds, a possible cut, on his elbow had traces of healing, unlike the rest. This meant this wound was older than the rest and was not from the time he died. 

His attacker used a narrow, and very sharp blade to attack the man. They stabbed him at a downward angle and was possibly left-handed as the wounds were on the left side. Two of the wounds would have been deadly, but if he had somehow survived he would have been paralyzed. 

The fatal wounds were stab wounds between the 8th and 9th ribs that would have punctured the spleen, stomach, or lungs. The second fatal wound was that the skull was hit with such a powerful blow from an edged weapon that the blade would have entered the brain. The lesser injury was on his thumb. 

At this period at the beginning of the 8th century, the Welsh and English were in conflict. In 743 the kings of Mercia and Wessex teamed up together against the Welsh. This would cause violent skirmishes and battles at the time. There was one battle in 760 AD this was the battle of Hereford. It's possible that this man was a casualty of this battle. This may be why he seemed to have a healed stab wound.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Headland Archeology

Hereford Times

Archeology