Suspicious Death of Birdie Hoffman and Murder of Gertrude Botts

At 7 pm on May 3, 1900, 18-year-old Birdie Hoffman and 16-year-old Charles "Otis" Botts went on a buggy ride in Peoria, Illinois. The two had been dating for the last two years and planned to get married. Birdie's parents tried to convince them that they were too young, but the two didn't care they wanted to marry.

On the ride, he would end up either sexually assaulting her or they had sex. Afterwards, this would upset Birdie greatly and he claimed that she was full of remorse over them doing that. He claimed that she refused to go home and they argued until 4 am. During the argument, she would grab his revolver and shoot herself in the head. 

Police however did not believe that she had killed herself. However, he could not be prosecuted for the crime as no evidence contradicted his statement. 

Five years later on January 6, 1905, a few days before his 21st birthday Otis argued with his wife, 19-year-old Gertrude at the border house they were staying at in Peoria. The two had been constantly arguing ever since they got married the year before. During the argument, He would strike her in the face and then begin to strangle her with a slender hair ribbon killing her.

He would leave the home and go to a saloon in Knoxville and Glendale. When he entered he seemed heavily intoxicated already and caused a disturbance. He was quickly kicked out. So he would catch a car on the way to the courthouse where again he made a disturbance. He was kicked out after traveling two blocks. 

He would then make it to Wall's Saloon on Fayette St. He would hang out there until late that evening. Towards the end of the night, he became more sober. He seemed greatly worried and even told the bartender that he wanted to drown himself in the river. 

 He would spend the night with his friend William Trautman on Nebraska Ave. At 10 am Patrolman Brannon and McEnvoy would go to William's to arrest him. He was still asleep when he arrived, and surprised him when they arrested him. It was found that he had a razor under his pillow. It was suspected he was planning on using it on himself. 

 He would then be arrested the next day for the murder. He would seem indifferent to his wife's death. He stated that it was an Eastern traveler named Albert Baer. His wife was infatuated with the man and the two had spent that night together, so he had to of been the one to kill her. Police did not believe him, especially since he was the last one seen in their room. It also didn't help that he was a suspect in the murder of another woman.

There was no solid evidence, but there was circumstantial so he would be brought to trial in just a couple months. At the trial, he would deny that he knew anything about his wife's murder. The jury would find him guilty and set him to be executed. This angered him and he yelled at the jury in the courtroom.


SOURCES:
Legal Executions in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri page 20

The Altamont News May 10, 1900

Mount Carmel Register May 10, 1900

Herald and Review January 8, 1905

Herald and Review January 13, 1905

Marshall County Democrat March 30, 1905

Woodford County Journal April 6, 1905

UNIDENTIFIED: December 29, 1923 London, England

On December 29, 1923, a woman's body was found in the Chelsea Basin area in the Thames River in England. It was not stated what they thought the cause of death was or if they thought it was foul play. It was not known who she was and police took her fingerprints in hopes of helping identify her with them. This was a first, but however never gave fruit to her identity.

She would be misidentified by a man who had not seen his wife for 2 years. By the end of the month, a family member would tell him that they actually spoke to her recently and could not be Jane Doe.

It was found that the woman had the habit of staying at a common lodging house in Walham Green. The manager of the house however did not know the woman's name.

She was a woman around 45 to 50-years-old. She was well dressed and had a bag with when she was found. Inside the bag was a handkerchief with an M on it, a photo of a man cut out from a larger photo, She had two £1 notes, eight 10s. notes, and 4s in silver and copper.

SOURCES:

Daily Herald January 5, 1924

The Kensington News and West London Times January 11, 1923

Chelsea News January 18, 1924

Chelsea News January 25, 1924

UNIDENTIFIED: December 27, 1953 Los Angeles, California John Doe

 On December 27, 1953, an off-duty Los Angeles Police Officer was hiking in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California when he discovered skeletal remains scattered along the hillside. He had died around a year before and there was no evidence of violence on the skull. A broken phonograph was found nearby. It was the type to be used for home recordings so police suspect it was a suicide note. It's also believed that he was not wearing his pants when he died. v

John Doe was a man between 50 to 60-years-old. He was 5'0". He was wearing a grey hat with the initials 'STW', grey trousers, a white nylon shirt, a red sports shirt, and brown Oxford shoes. He had a pocket comb, black plastic lead pencil, a gold wristwatch 'Gruen' brand, a silver scapular medal and chain, a pair of old bifocal glasses, and a pair of horn-rimmed eyeglasses.

SOURCES:

NamUs

Unidentified Wiki

Daily News December 28, 1953

MISSING: Dorothy Louise Wright-Weiler

 On June 16, 1947, 22-year-old Dorothy Wright-Weiler was walking with her mother in Lewiston, Idaho. She would break away from her mother near a Cafe and told her she was going to jump in the river. This was the last time she was seen.

4 months before Dorothy and her ex-husband divorced. She had custody of the children and was living with her grandmother at the time. She had pawned her wedding ring and had a small amount of money in her pocket. 

Dorothy is a white female and was 22-years-old at the time. She was 5'1" to 5'6" and was around 120 lbs. She was wearing Levis, a red checked jacket, white sports shirt, bobby socks, and white mocassins. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Find a Grave

Idaho Missing Persons Clearinghouse

The Unaccounted For

UNIDENTIFIED: November 19, 1949 New Lenox Township, Illinois John Doe

  On November 19, 1949, the body of a man was found in Pilcher Park in New Lenox Township, Illinois. It's likely he died from a self-inflicted gunshot.

John Doe is a white male and was pre-40-years-old. He was 5'6". His hair color is unknown as he was bald. He has a scar on the right side of his face from his lip to ear across the cheek. He was wearing a khaki aviator wool-lined jacket with a brown fur collar, grey fedora, light yellow shirt with pencil stripes, tweed trousers with a light brown and black check pattern, black leather belt, tan oxfords with cream-colored paint, Handkerchief with the letter R on it and eyeglasses.

SOURCES:

NamUs

Crime Watchers

GHOSTS: White Lady of Verdala Palace

Photo by Philip Myrtorp

The last Grand Master of Malta was Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc (1725-1797).  According to the legend he had a niece (unnamed) and she would become the Blue Lady of Verdala Palace. 

The Blue Lady is sometimes referred to as Is-sinjura tal-Verdala. Before her death, she was arranged to marry a man she did not love. He may have been one of the knights. She kept refusing it, but she had no choice in the matter.

She would be imprisoned in her room in the palace being forced to accept an unwanted marriage. She had no way out, but the window. She would either slip to her death in her attempt to escape or willingly jumped to her death. It's unknown, but either way, she was not forced to marry the man.

She is seen in Verdala Palace wearing the same blue dress she died in. The one she was supposed to wear to her wedding. She'd be spotted walking the halls, in mirrors, or standing at the edge of balconies. 

Forever stuck in the place she tried to escape.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Moon Mausoleum

Guide Me Malta

Air Malta

MISSING: Thomas "Tommy" Richey

 

16-year-old Thomas "Tommy" Richey left home to go fishing on July 11, 1950. He went to his favorite fishing area on the Rogue River in Prospect, Oregon. The area had a cable car he would use to move to the middle and fish from above. His fishing pole and a few fish were found in the car, but he was not. It's likely he fell or jumped into the river and drowned as the car was still sitting over the river.

Coincidentally Tommy's mother's first husband and his older 1/2 brother who was 6 at the time drowned in the Rogue River in 1930.

Tommy is a white male and was 16 at the time. He was 5'9" to 5'10" and 160 lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He wore prescription glasses.

SOURCES:

NamUs

Charley Project