Murder of Saint Belina

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Saint Belina was a young woman who was murdered and made into a saint. In 1203 she was canonized by Pope Innocent III and was venerated in Troyes. Some of her relics were lost during the French Revolution, but some of her bone particles and her head are stored in a bust at the Mores Abbey in Launderville. Her feast day is February 19th. She is known both as Belina of Troyes, and Belina of Launderville due to the location of her murder. 

 There is little known about her life, but she was born to religious serfs of John Paterne, the Lord of Pradines and D'Arcy in Landerville, France. It was unknown when she was born. She was known as a gentle soul caring for others. In 1153 she was engaged to another young man of similar rank in the village. 

Her parents would ask Lord Paterne for his blessing. He would reject the proposal. He was also interested in having a beautiful girl. It was said that Belina rejected him and was disgusted with that idea. She wanted to marry the man she loved. She was not interested in the Lord or his position of power. 

Sometime after Belina would be tending to her father's sheep. This was when Lord Paterne would show up surprising her. He would try to force himself on her, but she would fight back and defend herself. During the struggle, Lord Paterne would bring out his sword and beheaded her. He would leave her body in the field.

It's not stated how the people knew it was known that it was him, but there was a revolt. The peasants were so outraged that they rose up against him. They would burn down his castle. He would escape with his life as he had disguised himself.

He however did not escape unfazed. Pope Anastasius IV excommunicated him and took away his titles. The king confiscated his land, and the French parliament condemned him to permanent exile.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Catholic Readings

Catholic Online

UNIDENTIFIED: February 5, 1924 Jinnampo, North Korea Doe

  On February 5, 1924, the body of a mutilated toddler was found in Jinnampo, South Pyongan Province, North Korea. At the time it was under Japanese Occupation and Japanese police were in charge. A publication ban was placed so it was not widely reported. 

The infant was estimated to be around 2 years old and his death was horrific as they were done to him while still alive. His neck was severed, their limbs and genitals were removed, their skull was fractured, and their brain had been removed.

A suspect was quickly arrested, 24-year-old Lee Chang-po. He had reported to the police that he had witnessed the child's brutal murder and the details matched the scene. Lee was suffering from syphilis and was considered mentally unwell. After his arrest, he would confess but he seemed confused. He was often repeating vague statements and mumbled and mismatched words. He claimed he dug up the child from the cemetery, but that was untrue. 

He would recant his confession as it after the autopsy contradicted him. He would then claim that he did it himself and that the missing flesh, organs, and limbs would be found at his home. When Lee lead officers to the home they came across his mother and he asked her "Where did you put the knife and child's flesh you used earlier?" His mother screamed at him "This crazy person!" and refused any involvement with the child's death. Other family members also denied any involvement and the house turned up nothing. 

There was no evidence against Lee and they determined that he lied during his confession. Lee was mentally ill and this helped clear him. They believed he may have witnessed the murder as he stated and that his family was the ones who had done it. If they had it was possible that they believed like a Korean superstition at the time that eating the liver of a young person or child would cure diseases. 

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Namu

INFANTICIDE: May 21, 1932 Birmingham, England Baby Jane Doe

On May 21, 1932, the body of a newborn baby girl was found in a public lavatory on Washwood Heath Rd in Birmingham, England. The baby had been decapitated and had signs of scorching on the body after death. It was born alive and died due to suffocation possibly caused by constriction of the throat with a finger and thumb.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Birmingham Gazette May 26, 1932

Christina Johansdotter Murders Infant So She'd Die

In 1740 Christina Johandotter lived in Sweden and had no will to live. She missed her fiance who had died and wanted to join him, but suicide is a sin and she did not want to go to hell. If she was in hell then she would not be able to see her fiance again.

She would witness a woman who was executed for infanticide. She decided to commit suicide by execution and repent and admit her crime in order to be forgiven and allowed into Paradise. The problem was that she had to kill someone specifically a child. Killing an adult did not always get the death penalty, but a child does get execution by decapitation.

One day in 1740 Christina would visit a friend and asked them if she could take the child. She told them that she wanted to show the infant to a friend visiting from the country. Christina would instead bring the child outside and chop off their head with an axe. She would be arrested for the murder. 

She would admit that she missed her fiance and thought this was the only way to see him soon. She was prosecuted for the murder and executed. At the time punishment for child murder was decapitation and then her body was burned at the stake. 

At the time suicide executions were a solution for those who wanted to die and go to heaven. Those who committed sins could ask for forgiveness and can enter heaven. Children were seen as being sinless and that 

Suicide executions became a historical phenomenon that created its own culture and customs. By the 1700's killing a child as a means of death was the most common reason to do so, the second being unmarried mothers killing their newborns in secret. 

There were theatrical performances for these suicides. Families of the condemned would buy special costumes decorated with embroidery and ribbons and pay for a suit to escort the condemned to the place of execution. Many who watch sympathized with the condemned especially if they were female.

The government would try to prevent this and issued a new law in 1754. This however did not end this type of suicide method though. The law stated that if those who had done a suicide-execution were to stand on the schavott for two days with the crime stated on a board and the person remaining blindfolded and whipped. This did not deter people from doing this.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Murderpedia

History Collection

UNIDENTIFIED: September 1, 1876 Oyster Beach, New York John Doe

 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. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

UNIDENTIFIED: Feb. 15, 1957 Watsonville, California

On Feb. 15, 1957, the head of a woman was found in a shallow grave under a railroad trestle in the Pajaro River Levee in Southern Santa Cruz County, California. The head was inside of a grocery bag, but her body was not found. According to one news article another large grocery bag was found in the area that had some red discolorations. Similar discolorations were found on the cheek of the head. It's believed she died in 1956.

Head belonged to an African American woman between the ages of 28 to 52-year-old. She had a gold upper tooth.

SOURCES:

NamUs

Unidentified Wiki

News-Pilot Feb. 16, 1957

The Fresno Bee Feb 16, 1957

Murder of Jeanne Van Calck

 

In 1906 9-year-old Jeanne Van Calk was living with her grandparents in Brussels, Belgium. Though she was living with her grandparents she would frequently visit her mother, but would never get to know her father as he had abandoned them.

On Feb. 7, 1906, Jeanne would leave her home to go to her mother's, This was not unusual, but it was the first time she would go alone as her grandfather was working. She would never make it to her mother's home on the corner of Baudouin Boulevard it was supposed to be a short distance.

Around a quarter till midnight that same night a machinist from the Théâtre de l'Alhambra, Joseph Eylenbosch, and his son found a suspicious package outside the door of 22 Rue des Hirondelles in Brussels. They would contact police officers about it. When police arrived they felt inside the package that was thick paper tied with a hemp cord. Inside the package, they could feel hair and skin. They would then bring it to the station before inspecting it. 

Inside they first saw Jeanne's blue peacoat and checkered dress. Inside was Jeanne's body with her legs missing and amputated at the groin. A search was done for the girl's legs. Which wouldn't be found till the 16th by a gardener in the park of the royal Stuyvenbergh farm.

Two men would arrive at the police station and report Jeanne missing. It would be found that Jeanne and her clothes matched the description of the dead girl. Upon hearing about her daughter's death Jeanne's mother fainted. 

Though Jeanne was dismembered her cause of death was still found. She had suffocated to death on her own vomit after consuming a large quantity of alcohol. There were also other signs of violence against the young girl. It was believed that whoever had dismembered Jeanne was familiar with cutting into meat like a butcher, or doctor. It's believed her death happened between 8 to 9 in the evening. The papers used to wrap the girl's body were from the newspaper "Le Soir" from the dates Jan. 12th and 27th 1906. Other papers came from an edition of "Journal De Paris". 

A friend of Jeanne's would later state that around 7 p.m. they saw Jeanne with an unknown man around 7 p.m. near her grandparent's home. They stated that the man and Jeanne were not going towards where her mother lived, but the opposite way. 

There were many suspects in this case. It was found3 years later that the spotting of Jeanne by her friend was not investigated further because she was a child. It was believed that the police had messed up the investigation. 

Émile Rossel, the owner of Le Soir would open a subscription service to help fund a marble monument to pay homage to Jeanne. She would be known as "Little Angel of Rue des Hirondelles". Jeanne would also be seen as a symbol of childhood innocence. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Find a Grave

DH

UNIDENTIFIED: February 1915, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Unknown Girl

 In February 1915 a body (believed to be a teenage girl) was found in the basement of a home on 133 s 14th st, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A plumber was going to lay a sewer in the basement and the skeletal remains were found underneath the stairs from the outside access. The stairs had to be removed in order to get to the body. so the killer would have removed them also. The grave was shallow and was 2 by 3 ft. This would mean the girl was doubled up or her remains dismembered. The skull seemed to have evidence of an injury with a sharp object like a hatchet. Her remains had been burned and quicklime was poured on the body. It's believed she could be dead for around 10 to 15 years. 

Jane Doe was a teenage girl around 16-year-old. She had chestnut brown hair. a piece of cloth was found with the body and it's thought of being similar to the end of an apron string possibly made out of white muslin.  

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Harrisburg Telegraph Feb 13, 1915

Harrisburg Daily Independent Feb 13, 1915

The Old Croghan Man

The Old Croghan Man is a bog body found in Croghan Hill, Daingean, County Offaly, Ireland in June 2003. Despite his name, he was believed to be in his early 20's and died between 362 BCE and 175 BCE. From the measurements of his arms, it's believed he was around 6'6". His body indicated he did little to no labor and manicured nails. His lungs had scars which indicated he may have had pleurisy.

He was naked except for an arm ring on his left arm. The arm ring was made from two waterlogged leather, strands of fibers, and four bronze mounts.

It's believed that he was a king that was sacrificed for a bad harvest or disaster. At the time of his death kings were blamed and sacrificed for such things. This may have been done to please the gods. He was also in a bog that may have been a lake at one time at the bottom of a hill used for kingship ceremonies. 

It's believed he was killed in the winter months as his diet indicated that it was rich in meat. His last meal was wheat and buttermilk, but that may have been because of ritual. He was stabbed in the ribs and there's a cut on his arm indicating he tried to defend himself. It's believed that he died from this stab. He had cuts beneath his nipples and may have been tortured before death. His nipples may have been mutilated because of failed kingship or failed candidate for kingship.  He would be dismembered and beheaded. Hazel ropes were passed through his arms before he was buried in the bog.

SOURCES:
Wikipedia
Mummipedia Wiki
BBC News Jan. 7, 2006
Archeology

Academic

Murder of Harriet Louisa Lane

In London, England 1871 35-year-old Henry Wainwright and 20-year-old Harriet Lan met. Henry was working as a brushmaker with a shop and Harriet was a milliner's apprentice. Henry who was already married had Harriet in a house in Mile End. He would then support two families.

Seen as a family man and devoted father to his original family no one knew of Harriet. While together Harriet would go by Mrs. Percy King and the two would have two children together. Even though Henry owned a shop taking care of two families was difficult to take care of both. He would move Harriet and their children to cheaper accommodation in Sidney Square, but it was fruitless. He would go bankrupt.

Harriet was not happy with the life she and Henry had. She tired of sharing the man she loved and being the other woman in his life. It was said that she was starting to drink and would berate him when she drunk. She would often ask him to leave his wife and live with her. Henry wanting Harriet out of his life.

In September 1874 Henry would tell Harriet what she wanted to hear. He told her that he was finally leaving his wife to be with her. They would make plans that on September 11th they would meet so he could leave his wife. He told her that if anyone asked if she who she was meeting that she would respond with a "Mr. Frieake" so that word wouldn't go back to his wife. 

On September 11 Harriet would have friends look after the children. She would leave Sidney Square with her nightclothes wrapped in a parcel to White Chaple. This would be the last time anyone saw Harriet. Her friends would become increasingly worried. Henry would tell them that she went to Brighton and a letter came saying she was going to live in Paris with a man named Edward Frieake.

Without their mother, Henry would put the children in the care of a neighbor. The neighbor had helped Harriet look after the children. It seemed soon that no one looked for the young mother believing she went to have a better life.

What actually happened was that Harriet and Henry would be at his workshop. He would shoot his young lover to death. The gunshots were heard, but no one inquired them. So Henry was able to bury Harriet in a shallow grave at the workshop.

Even after Harriet's death, Henry was still in heavy debt. A year later and in desperation he moved to Essex and had to sell his workshop. Knowing that if he left Harriet's body there his evil deed would be found. 

Exactly a year after Harriet's death Henry contacts his little brother Thomas for help. Thomas had not known that Henry had killed Harriet until he asked him for help. The two would dig up Harriet's bodies and dismember her. They would then place her into parcels. Thomas would leave after they dismembered her.

Henry would ask Alfred Stokes, a former employee, to help watch the parcels while he went to get a cab. The parcels were heavy, stinking, and mysterious. Alfred was a bit curious and suspicious of what he was transporting. Thinking it was an easy task he helped. Henry would ask him to watch them when he went to get when Henry got out of view the curious Alfred took a peak. Inside he was horrified because inside was a human head. 

Alfred kept his cool when Henry got back. He would help him load the cab and saw him off. He would then give the cab a chase, and passing a policeman he told him to stop the cab. After being ignored by two policemen he finally found one that believed him near London Bridge. 

The policeman halted the cab and Henry tried to bribe him. The police officer unimpressed looked inside the cab. He would find Harriet's body inside. Henry would be arrested right there.

At trial, Henry would claim that his dead lover's remains were given to him by an unidentified man at a pub. The jury did not believe his story and found him guilty. He would be sentenced to death. At 8 a.m. on December 21, 1875, Henry would be brought out to the Newgate Goal and executed. 

Henry Wainwright

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Murderpedia

The Ministry of History

British Executions

Herts Memories 

UNIDENTIFIED: May 1912, Providence County , Rhode Island Jane Doe

 In May of 1912, the body of a woman was found in the Blackstone River in Providence County, Rhode Island. Her arms and legs were bound and her head was missing. There is little information on this case. 

She was buried in Edgehill Cemetary. The Cemetary is now abandoned and there are no grave markers.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

Murder of Hannah Brown

Hannah Brown lived in an apartment owned by Elizabeth Corney. She said that Hannah was a good tenant and lived there until December. Hannah told her landlord that she was going to get married on Christmas.

Hannah said her future husband wanted her to get pocket money from selling her things as where she was going they would have enough stuff. On December 24th a man came to her apartment and placed her trunks in a hackney-coach. She told Elizabeth that she wasn't going to hand over the keys yet because she had something still there and would be there Monday to pick it up.

 She never told anyone who he was, Except for a friend, Hannah Davis, someone supposed to participate in the wedding. They had dinner that her home All they got was the name Greenacre from Hannah and him. He promised to bring her to America to his property in Hudson Bay.

James Greenacre came to the friend's home on Christmas. They were all ready for the wedding. He asked her if she had seen Hannah. They stated no. He told her the wedding was off as he didn't want to pull them both into poverty after finding out Hannah had no property. He refused to come into the house and thanked them for the dinner they were invited to on December 22nd.

He then told her brother's mistress the same thing. He said that Hannah lied about having money and made him go into debt. She tried to get him to talk to Hannah's brother, but he refused. He was in a hurry to leave.

Hannah never arrived that Monday. Instead, a boy came with the key and told Elizabeth that a man had given him the key to give to her.  When she went in there was only a birdcage. The rent at the apartment was done weekly and was paid on Tuesdays.

On December 28, 1836, A man found Hannah's torso in a bag on Edgware Road in London, England. It was 20 yards from Pineapple Gate behind a flagstone, there was a cord that closed the mouth of the bag.  Inside the bag were bloody rags and a torn child's frock.

On Jan. 6, 1837 Hannah's head was found in a canal near Stepney. Her face seemed to have been mangled. Her legs were then found in Camberwell. She was left unidentified for 10 weeks. Her brother and wife then went to go see the face of the murdered woman. Fearing it was Hannah.

The face was mangled, but they were able to recognize her. There also other things that pointed to her identification. There was a bite mark from a dog that had bitten her on the leg, and her ear had been torn at some point.

Investigators found that the to be husband was James Greenacre. He was in bed with another woman when the police came. He rented a room and the woman and a child rented the other room in the home. Hannah's things were found in the home. He initially denied that he knew her, but soon admitted he did.  He told the Investigator that he was lucky he got him that night as he was leaving the next day.

He said he found that Hannah was trying to buy some silk nightgowns in his name. On Christmas-Eve she came to his home and seemed to be drinking with some coachmen. She asked for some Rum and tea and he obliged as they drank together.

He then brought up the silk gowns and that she misrepresented herself. She retaliated and told him they were declined and that he was lying about his worth. She was rocking her chair back and forth during this conversation and he put his foot against her chair. She fell backward.

Her head his a chunk of wood and he claimed it had killed her. He tried to shake her awake, but it failed. He then dismembered the body and pretended to look for her to tell her the wedding was off.

The autopsy showed that she was dismembered shortly after death. That the injury to the eye may have been first and then the blow to the back of the head. He told the woman he was living with that Hannah had left all of her things in the home. He gave the things to her and had no idea of the murder as she was out of the home at the time.

James Greenacre was found guilty of the crime.

SOURCES:
History By The Yard
The Champion and Weekly Herald
The Leeds Intelligencer and Yorkshire General Advertiser

Kidnapping and Murder of Marion Parker

On December 15, 1927, 19-year-old William Edward Hickman went to Mount Vernon Jr. High School in the Lafayette Square section of Los Angeles, California. He went to the office and told the registrar, Mary Holt, that Perry Parker the father of  12-year-old twins, Marion and Majorie.

He asked for Perry Parker's daughter. This confused The registrar as Perry had two daughters. He stated that the smaller one was who Perry wanted to see. It turned out that William didn't know that Perry had twin daughters or even their names. Regardless they trusted the man and handed over Marion to him believing his story was suspicious but true.

His story was all a lie and Perry was perfectly fine. It wasn't noticed that the girl was kidnapped until she was supposed to arrive home. She was reported missing and ransom notes came to the family. In the ransom letters, He asked for 75 $20 gold certificates which would equal $1,500 (this was equal with $21,887 today). The ransom letters were signed with "Fate", " Fox" and "Death"

The original meet was supposed to happen on December 16th and they were given instructions on how it was supposed to go. William had seen a policeman in the area and fled. A third letter was sent stating.

“I will be two billion times as cautious and clever, as deadly from now on. You have brought this on yourself and you deserve it and worse. A man who betrays his love for his own daughter is a second Judas Iscariot – many times more wicked than the worst modern criminal."
At 7:30 p.m. on December 17th Perry arrived at West 5th St. and South Manhattan Place in Los Angeles alone. He had the ransom money and hoped for the safe return of his daughter. He went over to a parked dark Ford roadster with a young man (William) sitting inside. William pointed a gun at Perry and when Perry asked to see Marion William pointed to the passenger seat.

Marion was sitting and unmoving and wrapped up to her neck. William told Perry that Marion was sleeping. Perry assumed that it meant she was chloroformed. Perry gave the stranger the ransom money. William accelerated his car about 200 feet and kicked Marion out.

It had turned out that she was dead. Perry quickly held his daughter in his arms. She had been horribly mutilated. Her legs and arms had been cut off and she had been disemboweled and stuffed with rags. He had sewed his eyes open with wires. Her back had shown evidence that she had been whipped.

He had strangled the girl and slit her throat before dismembering her. He later stated that he believed that Marion was still alive when he dismembered her though. He then wrapped the arms and legs up in newspaper and left them in Elysian Park where they were found on the 18th.

Police had no idea who had kidnapped the girl at first. All they knew it was a young man around 25 years old, about 5'8" and weighing 150 lbs. He had a shaved face and thin features with dark wavy hair. He was driving a dark Ford Roadster.

A break came in the case when a laundry mark that was on a towel used to stuff Marion had on it. It traced back to an apartment complex in Los Angeles. More than 100 police officers came to search room to room for the suspect. This was when they found Donal Evans (William Hickman) who was staying in one of the rooms.

They interviewed him and he stated that he hoped they find the fiend who killed the girl. They had no evidence against him and left him. This was when the man they knew as Donald Evans fled. Police found the roadster and inspected it. It had been stolen from Kansas City weeks before. Fingerprints in the vehicle belonged to a man named William Edward Hickman.  He was a career criminal.

The motive of the kidnapping was found. He was an employee of Perry Parker and was an assistant cashier. He had been fired for forging checks at the bank and Perry testified and opposed probation against him. This caused him to serve a brief time in jail.

Now knowing who the kidnapper was William's mugshot was plastered in many newspapers. After seeing the mugshot in the newspaper the landlady confirmed that Donald Evans was, in fact, William Hickman. Others in the apartment said they witnessed him carrying newspapers out the night of the Ransom pickup. Blood was found in the apartment.

William had stolen cars on the way heading north. One of the marked bills was found in Seattle and the man who did it matched the his description. Another showed up in Portland Oregon and on December 22 he was caught by police in Pendleton, Oregon.

 William denied being the man at the apartment. He claimed he had an accomplice, but the man he claimed that was with him was in jail at the time. He had claimed that this accomplice was the one who killed Marion to shut her up. Police did not find such an accomplice, and it was believed that he did this on his own. He stated that the kidnapping was so he could get money for college, but the police didn't believe him and thought it was actually revenge. At one point he asked if he would be as famous as "Leopold and Loeb."

At trial, he claimed not guilty due to an insanity plea. It was up the defense to prove that he was insane at least at the time of the crime. They put his mother on the stand and she claimed that insanity ran in the family. Several alienists (psychologists) came to see him, but the majority believed that he was sane.

The original judge was known to not have people hang. William made a comment along the lines that even if they don't find him insane the judge wouldn't hang him. The judge hearing about this comment disqualified himself from this trial.

After a 10 day trial, a verdict was made on the case. The jury did not believe he was insane at the time and that he was guilty. He was smiling when he heard the verdict. He was asked how he felt about it and his response was "The state won by a neck".

He was then sentenced to hang. On October 19, 1928, William walked 13 steps up to the gallows. A priest was standing up there and said: "Lord, have mercy on us." William responded, "Christ have mercy on us." A black hood was placed over his head  On the way down he hit his head on the gallow and violently shook as he hanged. After a few minutes, he was pronounced dead.

SOURCES:
Find A Grave 
The Malefactors Register
LA Times
Wikipedia
Rare Newspapers

UNIDENTIFIED: April 13, 1946 Oak Grove, Oregon Jane Doe

Early morning of April 13, 1946, three fishermen found a fully clothed torso floating in the Williamette River.  She had been dismembered as her head, arms and legs were sawn off. The next day here arms and legs were located in the river about 6 miles from the body. Fishermen stated that they have seen the sack floating in the river for at least 30 days earlier. It was estimated she died weeks prior.

On October 13, 1946 her head was discovered by a couple strolling along the river bank. Her head had been wrapped with rags and weighed down. It was shown she was killed by a blow to the right side of her head. It was stated the person dismembering may have an acknowledgment of anatomy as they were cut neatly.

She was a white female between 30 and 59 years old. She was 5'2" to 5'4" and 115 to 125 lbs. She had brown greying hair and had curlers and pins in.  She had false upper teeth and lower teeth had fillings. She was wearing brown slacks, dark blue sweater, long underclothing, black dress material, and topcoat.

SOURCES:
NamUs
The Doe Network 
The News-Review 
The Capital-Journal