Murder of Gilbert Caleb Amos

On December 12, 1924, around 10 pm 21-year-old William Bressington would go to the home of the Amos family in Bristol, England. He was known to the family. The three Amos boys were home, 12-year-old William, 8-year-old Gilbert, and 2-year-old Walter. William B. would tell the oldest boy that their aunt Lizzie was looking for him. William A. told him that he could not go because he was in charge of babysitting the baby. Their mother was Christmas shopping at the time. 

Gilbert went instead volunteered to go instead. He stated that he would go with Gilbert and find out what their Aunt wanted and bring him back to convey the message. However, this was not what happened. The Aunt did not send William B. to get any of the boys.

William B. instead of bringing Gilbert to their aunts he brought him to Cousin's Field in Staple Mill. He did the unimaginable to the boy. He would sexually assault the young boy and then strangle him to death with a necktie. It was possible the sexual assault also happened while he was dead.

William would leave Gilbert's body and loiter near Derham's boot factory where his father Charles came across him. William told his father "I have done it, Daddy. I can't tell you, but I'll take you to the place and how you." William would bring his father to the crime scene. Charles seeing the young boy's body began to beat his son. A bystander had to intervene to get him to stop beating him. 

William would be arrested and confessed to his crimes again. On February 16, 1925, he would appear at the Bristol Assizes before Justice Roche. He confessed to the murder, but not the sexual assault. He claimed that a man named "James" had asked him to fetch the boy. That "James" had done that.


He would plead insanity. In 1924, William Bressington was discharged from the army for being "feeble-minded. He was trying to use his fondness for women's clothes and makeup for his defense. He also used his family's mental illness. His grandfather died in an asylum and a cousin and uncle were in one at the time. A Dr Robert Phillips testified that William did fit the legal definition of insanity. 

This however did not work and the Jurors found him guilty of murder. He was set to be executed. On March 31, 1925, William was hanged at the gallows in Bristol Prison by Thomas Pierrepoint.

SOURCES:

British Executions

Evening Express December 13, 1925

Western Daily Press December 23, 1924

Western Daily Press February 17, 1925

Western Daily Press March 23, 1925

Bristol Post August 28, 2022

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

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: September 20, 1927 Fredricksberg, Texas Jane Doe

 

On September 20, 1927, the body of a teenage girl was found in a shallow grave near Fredricksburg, Texas. The grave was 2ft long and 3 inches deep her body being crammed into the small pit. She was nude having been sexually assaulted and beaten to death. Items were burned nearby including her clothes.

There were reports that around 10 days before her body was discovered she may have been seen in town with two men in a small coupe. She may have stayed at a cabin with two men for a night and the next day the cabin was found bloodied. There had been reports that she had been seen with two soldiers. One Man stated that he saw the girl arguing with two soldiers on the side of the road.

A marksmanship scorecard found at the scene was believed to belong to one of the soldiers. A soldier matching the name was found and suspected. But the scorecard was found around 75 yards away from the girl and may not have anything to do with the crime. Three soldiers were arrested in suspicion of the crime. The two men who saw the girl with two men could not identify the scorecard owner or two other suspected soldiers as the two men. 

 There were also a lot of girls who were thought to have been her, but none of them panned out. No one was able to successfully identify the young girl

Jane Doe was a white female about 13-years-old. She had red hair that was bobbed. Tests were done to see if the hair was dyed, but it came back that it was natural. She was around 5'4". She wore a gold ring on her right pinky that was inset with a small red stone. Her clothes had been burned and only remained remnants of her undergarments. A black bag, a marksmanship scorecard, two handkerchiefs, and half a loaf of bread made in San Antonio was found near the body. A couple of miles toward Mason a bloody quilt was found it's unknown why they didn't burn this with other items. 

There was a black bag found near the scene, but it was later ruled out as having with the crime. A couple passing through the area had lost one of their pieces of luggage while going down the road several days before the girl's discovery.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Haunted Fredricksberg

McAllen Daily Press September 21, 1927

Corsicana Daily Sun September 21, 1927

The Austin American September 29, 1927

Murder of Mary Jane Voller

 

On December 31, 1898 5-year-old Mary Jane Voller was sent to get a penny worth of linseed oil at a shop only across the street from her home in Barking, London, England. She left the home around 5:10 p.m. with a threepenny and was never seen alive again after that.

After 10 to 15 minutes Mrs. Voller who sent Mary on the errand got worried. The errand should have been quick and it shouldn't have taken this long. Mrs. Voller would ask Mr. Voller, but he believed she was overreacting. He didn't search for her and was trying to finish fixing Mary's shoes. 

Mrs. Voller went and looked for her herself. She asked neighbors and went to the shop to ask if they'd seen the 5-year-old. The shopkeeper could not remember the girl as the family had only moved to the area weeks before. But when Mrs. Voller asked if a young girl buying linseed came in the answer was that no one had bought any since 2 that afternoon. This meant that no one had seen Mary, she never made it to the shop and had been taken young Mary within the 10 to 15 minutes she'd been gone. The family did a search was soon done on the streets for Mary.

Mr. Voller searched the streets with his father, and after finding no sign of his daughter they went to the police station. They hoped the girl had wandered off and was lost and reported that she was a lost child.  A description of her was sent out across the country. 

Mr. Voller would continue to search unfrequented places for his daughter. They would search abandoned houses and such. Going down Barking-Lane Mr. Voller went over to inspect a shed. Near the shed was a brook and his heart dropped when he saw something floating inside of it.

When they got close to the water the lantern blew out. Knowing there was something floating in the water Mr. Voller went into the water and searched the area blind on his hands and knees where he saw something floating. In his arms was the lifeless body of his daughter.

News soon spread of the discovery. Mr. Voller initially refused to move the body until the police came, but his wife convinced him to bring her home. The police and coroner met them at their home and it was obvious that the girl was brutally murdered. 

Mary had been raped she had 2 punctures in her neck, one near her groin, and one on the inside of her left thigh. the wounds were accompanied by scratches and were believed to be done by a blunt object. These did not kill her and it was believed she drowned in the 3 feet. She did not have mud or such in her throat so it's believed she was unconscious or in shock when put in the water. 

It's unknown who did this horrific murder to the young girl and will remain unsolved. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

The Mirror

The Standard January 4, 1899

The Essex County Standard Ect. January 7, 1899

The Weekly Standard and Express January 7, 1899

Lloyds Weekley Newspaper January 8, 1899

Murder of Vera Isobel Minnie Page

 

On April 13, 1921, Vera Page was born in Hammersmith, London, England to Charles and Isabel Page She would grow up as an only child and would be known as a popular but shy and well-behaved girl. Her father was a painter for the Great Western Railways and her mother was a housewife. In order to supplement income, the couple would allow lodgers in their home.

The family owned a three-story home near Blenheim Crescent, they did not occupy the whole house. So they would have lodgers on the upper floors and typically they were family members or people known to the family. Arthur and Annie Rush were occupants of the home for 20 years. 

On December 14, 1931, 10-year-old Vera left her home around 4:30 p.m. She was going to her aunts home that was around 50 yards away to collect two swimming certificates she achieved. She left them at her aunt's house the previous day. Vera would get the certificates and left her aunts home at 4:45.

By 5:30 p.m. she still hadn't returned so her father went to the aunt's home to get his daughter. The aunt told him that she had left almost an hour before for dinner. Charles hoped his daughter got sidetracked and visited the homes of her friends and relatives. When there was no sign of her by 10:30 p.m. he went to Notting Hill police station to report her missing.

With several friends, neighbors, and family members Charles and Isabel searched for Vera. They would search up into the morning, and the following day her description was circulated among the police. By the evening the media reported on Vera's disappearance.

Police determined that between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on December 14th Vera spoke to a school friend outside a chemists on Blenheim Crescent and Portobello Rd. Vera told her friend that she was going to purchase soap dominos for her parent's Christmas presents. After the brief conversation, the friend would leave Vera standing in front of the shop window. Her friend stated that she was carrying an envelope at the time, the one with her certificates inside. No one reportedly saw Vera after this.

On December 16th vera's body would be found lying in a patch of shrubbery in the front garden of 89 Addison Rd, Kensington, close to Holland Park. This was just a mile from her home. The killer tried to conceal the body by throwing handfuls of dirt and leaves on her body. Police suspected that her killer lived near the location of her body or knew the neighborhood well.

During the autopsy, it was found that Vera had been raped and strangled to death. Bruising on her neck showed she had been strangled with a ligature. She had been dead over 24 hoursand they believe she may have been killed close to 9 p.m. the night she disappeared. There were traces of soot and coal dust on her face. There was candle wax in two places on her right shoulder and three locations on the shoulder of her coat. In the crook of her elbow, an ammonia-stained finger bandage was found. Likely the killer lost it when moving her body, and did not notice it.

It's likely that she was stored somewhere warm after her death as she was greatly decomposed. Also, she was likely not outside or placed there soon after death. The day before between 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and her clothes only had moisture on them where they touched the ground. It's believed her body was dumped there a couple of hours before discovery.  It's believed with evidence of soot and coal on her that she likely was in a coal shed or cellar possibly with no electricity if the candle wax is from the area her body was hidden. It's likly she was placed there after 7:50 a.m. according to witness accounts.

A Mrs. Margaret Key would come forward and state that at 6:40 a.m. on December 16th she saw a man pushing a wheelbarrow with a bundle covered with a red table cloth with knitted fringe towards Addison Rd. 

On December 17th a woman living close to Addison Rd would bring a child's red beret to the police station. She had found it on the 16th around 9:30 p.m. close to where Vera was last seen alive. It was Vera's beret. It smelled of paraffin, but that may have been caused by the woman storing the beret beneath her sink before bringing it in. The woman stated that she also found torn up peices of paper and a peice of candle, but thre those away. It's believed that the papers may have been her certificates.

It was also discovered that a coal shed near Addison Road was unlocked and left ajar during the time Vera was missing. It was unusual for the shed door to be ajar, but no one investigated it. So it's unknown if Vera's body was stored there but it's strongly believed it was and the murderer transferred her body using a wheelbarrow.

A suspect was soon found. 41-year-old Percy Rush knew Vera and her family through his parents Arthur and Annie Rush who rented a room from them. He lived down the street from them. He also had a bandage on one of his fingers. He also matched the description of the man with the wheelbarrow matched Percy's description. 

Percy claimed that he normally would visit his parents on Mondays, but decided to go shopping after work that day. His wife was not home and didn't want to be home alone. He would return around 8:30 p.m. and his wife shortly after. They then went to sleep around 10:15 p.m.

Police believe that he lured her to the coal shed where he would attack and murder the girl. Percy said that he did not know the girl well enough that they may have only spoke once. That Vera wouldn't know or trust him enough to follow him anywhere.

He was wearing a bandage on his little finger because he got injured at work. At his place of work he would have had gotten in contact with ammonia. He had a rough bandage and his wife made a second with their supply at home that was more comfortable and protect against the ammonia. He stated that he got rid of that bandage on the 11th. His co-workes confirmed he was wearing a bandage at work on the 9th, but they did not know if he was wearing one on the 14th. He claimed that he threw the second bandage into the fireplace at work to get rid of it on the 11th. He claimed that hadn't worn a bandage since the 11th because he wanted to harden the wound. The bandage found on Vera was tried on his pinky finger and it fit.

Police found uncovered sections of bandage and a distinctive red table cloth with fringe, and candle in his home. On his jacket remenece of the coal dust, semen and wax was foud on his overcoat. The candle was found to be identical to the wax found on Vera. The bandages found at his home did not match the one found on Vera. 

The police and the community believed that Percy was her killer. This was never proven and he was never convicted for her murder. A coroner's inquest was done on Feb. 10 1932 and the jury determined there was not enough evidence for prosecution. Witnesses to validate Percy's were not brought up. Percy's criminal history was also not brought up which includes indecent exposure in 1923 and 1927. The victims were both young girls. In June of 1931 he exposed himself to two young girls.

It's unknown if he was actually the perpertarator of the crime and it will remain a mystery who had murdered Young Vera Page.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Wikipedia

Unsolved Murders UK

Morbidology

Mysterious Universe

True Crime England

Murder of Alice "Mamie" Sterling

 

Alice Sterling was the 5th of 6 children of George and Alice Sterling. She was named after her mother and went by Mamie. Their home was on 47 Savin Hill in Boston, Massachusetts. Around the corner on Dorchester George ran a barbershop and a laundry agency. Little Alice was known as popular inside and outside of her home.

April 10, 1895, it started out like any other day for the Sterlings.No one was home, The two oldest daughters (20, 17) were in Boston, their oldest boy (14) was selling newspaper and the other son (9) was in school and Mrs. Sterling went to Everett to spend time with her mother and took the youngest with her. Which left Alice with her father. That day like many days his daughter, 8-year-old Alice, was playing outside the barbershop while he worked. Around 1 pm Alice's brothers came by the shop picked up Alice and the house key. The three would eat lunch and then drop her back off at the shop.

On this day Angus Gilbert, a close friend of Mr. Sterlings, came by the shop like he had done many times before. 

28-year-old Angus Gilbert was a native of Nova Scotia, in 1895 he was working as a chore man on the Emmons Estate of Dorchester. He would do things like chopping wood and carrying water in exchange for lodging in their barn that no longer had animals. At night he was an assistant station agent at the railroad depot.     

Angus had been friends with George for the last 5 years and was very fond of little Alice. When he would see young Alice he would often hold her on his knee and kiss her. He told Mr. Sterling he was fond of the young girl. Sometimes he would joke saying she would be his bride when she grew up. He would talk and visit with George and leave.

Alice was playing in front of the shop up until 3, and then she went to the corner to play. People had seen her around 4. No one had realized that Alice was missing. A search was done, and at 5 police were notified of her disappearance. When Alice didn't return back home by the next morning, the police were notified again. Officer Perkins would begin to investigate and found that Alice was taken.

Police knew that a man dressed in dark clothing was seen walking with Alice at the time of her disappearance. A woman would soon come forward stating she saw Angus with the girl and had even greeted the two when she saw them. Another woman stated that she saw Angus with a young girl that day. He would soon be arrested. 

On April 13th Angus was sleeping in his room he was arrested. The dirt cellar that was right beneath his room was searched and within hours a gruesome crime was discovered. There was a patch of loose dirt and when police officers stumbled upon a small foot. Alice's body was found and it was obvious she met a brutal end. She what seemed to be two wounds on her head one of which was from an Axe and they believed that she was sexually assaulted.

Nearby they found an Axe with a bloodstain and a piece of wood that was believed to have been used to hurt the girl. It was believed that when Alice was abducted that Angus brought him to the home the long way.

Angus would claim he had no knowledge of the crime. He stated that he was drunk on that Wednesday and had little knowledge of what he had done that day. He said he had remembered moments of the day and continued on like normal. He stated that he was the type of drunk to act normal, but have no idea what was going on. Like for example, he'd walk like he knew where he was going, but have no clue where he was. He was adamant that he did not walk away with the girl and he did not murder her that he would have remembered that if he did. 

 Angus would profess innocence till the end. It was suspected that even though there was so much evidence against him that he never admitted guilt for his sister's sake. Being prosecuted is one thing but admitting to it might have caused her even more grief.

On February 21, 1896, Angus would be executed for the murder. It would seem that he slept well, dressed, and ate a heavy breakfast. Shortly after 9 a.m., he would be taken from his cell. Religious services would be done to prepare him for the execution. At 10:49 he was hung until dead.

Angus D. Gilbert

SOURCES:

Murder by Gas Light

Boston Globe April 14, 1895

Boston Post April 14, 1895

Boston Post April 15, 1895

Fall River Evening Daily News  Feb. 6, 1896

The Boston Globe Feb. 20, 1896

The Saint Paul Globe Feb. 22, 1896

Murder of Doris E. Baker

 

Doris E. Baker was a mother of two and wife of Leo Baker. She owned Floor Covering Store, Inc. with her husband in Barre, Vermont. On Wednesday, February 19, 1958, at 4:40 John A. Corrigan, a customer, came into the Baker's store in order to pick up his linoleum order. He at first saw nobody, but then spotted 45-year-old Doris E. Baker lying sprawled behind the counter. 

She had been beaten with a hammer and then her throat was sliced and other parts of her were also cut. It could have also been a sexual assault. It was believed that it was either done by a sexual deviant and or a robbery gone wrong.

$50 was stolen from the store which would be equal to $425.06 in today's money. But her purse which had $150 in it was left untouched at the scene. Later there was a bloodstained $10 bill found and it could be possible that it was part of the money that was stolen.

There have been many suspects involved in this case. One suspect was Parran Youngblood a deaf/mute man who was seen in Barre that day. He was later shot and killed in Georgia in 1958 for supposedly kidnapping a 7-year-old child. There was no solid evidence that it was him. There were other suspects also, but none were found to be prosecuted with the murder of Mrs. Baker.

As a result of Doris's death, many of the residents in Barre became paranoid and scared. Several stores commented that they had sold out or almost sold out on-chain latch door locks and other kinds of door locks. Many residents even were scared to even let political door-to-door campaign members enter their house thinking that it may be the murderer.


SOURCES:

Vermont

The Burlington Free Press Feb. 22, 1958

The Burlington Free Press Feb. 25, 1958 

Bennington Banner April 2, 1958

The Burlington Free Press April 9, 1958

Bennington Banner August 30, 1958

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

Unsolved Murder of Susan Cadieux

 

At 7:15 p.m. on January 6, 1956, 5-year-old Susan Cadieux was plating in the schoolyard of St. Mary's School at 345 Lyle St. in London, Ontario, Canada. She was playing with her older brothers and wasn't that far away from home at the school.

Around 7:45 p.m. a man approached the kids and focused on Susan. He spoke with her and in return, she told the other children that the man was going to give her something. He told them that he was supposed to meet with the St. Mary's church priest at 9 and stated he lived on York St. while pointing towards King St. The other kids got distracted by a nearby fall on the ice and this was when Susan walked away with the man. 

By 8 p.m. her brothers panicked when they saw Susan gone. They rushed home to tell their parents about the man and she was gone. The search began. By 9:30 the London Police were involved and by 1:30 a.m. 300 people were searching for the girl.

At 10:08 a.m. Susan's body was found at the rear of Roy James Construction located at 609 William St. alongside the CPR spur line. This was around 6 miles north of where she was last seen. She had been sexually assaulted and died from exposure less than 3 hours before she was found. It was so cold out her tears were frozen to her face. It's believed the man assaulted her and left her in the yard.

Image of Suspect

The man was described as being a man between 30 and 40 years old. He was tall, thin and unshaven. He was wearing a light brown overcoat that was unbuttoned, a pair of unbuckled black galoshes that flapped openly and a dark Russian style or army Melton hat with ear flaps.



SOURCES:

London Police

Find A Grave

The Ottawa Citizen 

Murder of Nell "Alma" Tirtschke

Nell "Alma" Tirtschke named after her mother was born on 14 March 1909 at a remote mining town in West Australia, Australia. She was the oldest child and in 1911 her father Charles Titchke accepted a position with a mining company in Rhodesia and the family moved there. Soon after in 1912, her little sister Viola was born. During Nell's third pregnancy she died and Charles unable to take care of his daughters full time sent them to their grandparents. The whole family helped raise the two girls.
By 1921 Henry, Alma's, and Viola's grandfather died and the grandmother took all parental duties. Alma was described as shy, studious, and well behaved and excelled in her studies. Her grandmother raised the two girls and was a strict disciplinarian and would restrict the girls from social activities with other students this could have been the reason why Alama was shy and didn't make friends readily. Alma was also described as having soft speech and a soft manner.

On the afternoon of 30 December 1921, 12-year-old Alma was sent on an errand by an aunt. She was supposed to get a package of meat from her uncle's butcher shop in Swanston St. Melbourne and deliver it to a customer on Collin's street. It wasn't supposed to take more than 15 minutes and Alma was typically fast with her errands.

When Alma didn't return her family began to worry because they knew she was reliable and responsible. She was reported missing and the family and police searched for the girl through the night. It wasn't until early the next morning that her nude body was found in Gun Alley a laneway off of Little Collins Street. The poor girl had been raped and strangled to death.

She was last seen alive between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. at the corner of Alfred Place and Little Collin Streets close to where her body had been found. Among the men interviewed about the murder was 29-year-old Collin Ross, a saloon manager, and was seen with a girl matching Alam's description that day outside his saloon.

Collin was known by the police and had recently been acquitted in the shooting and robbery of his customers.  He claimed that he had been tending the bar the whole night and had not killed the girl. He nominated several witnesses who did see him tend the bar that night. Police were convinced it was him, he was arrested on 12 Jan. 1922.

Even though police were convinced of him being the murderer family members of Alma didn't believe it to be him. Collin had, throughout the trial, claimed innocence. The trial then began on 20 Feb. John Harding who was previously found of perjury was in jail with Collin. He testified against Collin and claimed that Collin made a confession to killing the girl.

A detective noticed several strands of blonde hair on a blanket inside of Collin's home. Alma's hair was compared to the blanket's and Charles Price a trained chemist looked at the hairs and claimed they came from the same person. This helped lead to a conviction against Collin. He was sentenced to death on April 24, 1922 by hanging

 In 2008 hairs that were claimed to have come from Alma were tested. It was found that those hairs did not belong to the girl and the man who claimed Collin made a jailhouse confession had been subject to perjury and it's possible he lied about the confession. Collin has been pardoned for Alma's murder. It's unknown who had attacked and killed the young girl.

Collin Campbell Ross

SOURCES:
Murderpedia

Wikipedia

MONSTERS: Orang Minyak

 

Photo by Noah Buscher 

In Malaysian Folklore, there is a horrible being who would attack women, mostly virgins, and leave eternal scars. The being would be known as Orang Minyak or the Oily Man. The physical and eye colors would differ for descriptions, but what made an Orang Minyak one was its oily black skin and insatiable sexual desire. The monster would be blamed for rapes starting in the 1950s.

The being has an oily black body would serve nothing but convenience for him. It would serve as a disguise during the night, serve as a lubricant, and if he was caught it would allow him to slip out of their hands. The oil wouldn't leave a trace. He's also said to be able to climb walls. The only inconvenience of it is that he would be seen during the day because he would either be naked or in swim shorts. That's why there are hardly any claims of him during the day.

There are different origin starts for an Orang Minyak. One is that it was a supernatural entity from the start, and was summoned by evil shamans, witches, etc. wanting it to do evil. Other accounts imply that Orang Minyaks are men who turn to the assistance of dark forces with extreme sexual frustration and desperation. He's likely would want the forces to help win the attention of a spurned crush, or receive love from a former lover.

His deeds are similar in each account though. He would have to rape 21 virgins in 7 days in favor of the dark forces. Even after the contract is fulfilled he would still ravage unsuspecting victims. When the monster comes across a virgin girl he would ravage her. He would sometimes rape women and girls who were not virgins.

The being having an oily black body would serve nothing but convenience for him. It would serve as a disguise during the night, serve as a lubricant, and if he was caught it would allow him to slip out of their hands. The oil wouldn't leave a trace. He's also said to be able to climb walls and paralyze victims. The only inconvenience of it is that he would be seen during the day because he would either be naked or in swim shorts. That's why there are hardly any claims of him during the day.

Women and girls would take precautions against an attack. It's believed that leaving a man's sweaty clothes near their bed or wearing them would make the Orang Minyak think there was a male there. In order to avoid confrontation, they would not rape their prey.

Some would go to a bomoh, a Malay spirit medium, to help ward away the monster. Some also believed that if they bit their left thumb and covered it with a batik, a magically treated cloth, during an attack would stop it.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Cryptid Wiki

Historic Mysteries

Warriors of Myth Wiki

Murder of Annette Fernande Bellot

 

On December 1, 1907, 6-year-old Annette Bellot and her older brother were playing in the street on Place de Brouckere or Dam St. in Anderlecht, Belgium. A man would approach the children and ask Annette's older brother to buy him some cigarettes and would give him candy as a reward for doing so. The man told the boy "Leave your little sister with me; you will go faster". Trusting that the man and Annette would be there when he returned. He would go and buy the cigarettes and returned with neither of them there.

The next day Annette's body would be found behind the Veterinary School near the Gare du Midi. The unknown man had raped and strangled the girl to death.  Her murder will never be solved.

SOURCES:

Find A Grave

Murder of Fanny Faulkner

In 1870 75-year-old Fanny Faulkner was a charity pensioner in Washington, D.C. She was living in a single apartment on Ohio avenue, in Washington. On the day of October 6, 1871, 32-year-old James Grady had horrible plans for the 75-year-old.

On October 6, 1870, James "Jimmy" Grady went to the home of Fanny Faulkner drunk. He had foul plans for the elderly woman. He sexually assaulted her and intended to rob her. He would beat, strangle and kick the woman. Mrs. Curtin was told by some children at the grocery store that Jimmy Grady was at Franny's home eating food.

This worried Mrs. Curtin and she rushed to Fanny's home. Inside he saw James over Franny. Franny laid on the floor suffering and unable to speak. James left after Mrs. Curtin arrived. James went to a blacksmith shop nearby and bragged about assaulting Fanny. Franny ended up dead the next day from the injuries.

At trial, he plead not guilty. The jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to death. James tried to get a new trial due to 1. him being intoxicated during the crime, 2. He didn't intend for murder just rape, 3. he was possibly from an influential family, 4. He wasn't skillfully represented.

This did not happen and James Grady was hanged on March 24, 1871.

SOURCES:
Legal Executions in Deleware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia page 15
Evening Star Jan 19, 1871
Alexandria Gazette Jan. 20, 1871
Evening Star Jan 24, 1871
The Baltimore Sun March 15, 1871

Murder Annie Tomicik

On September 22, 1924, a 30-year-old Italian Immigrant, Peter Vergolini spotted 10-year-old Annie Tomicik in Gary, Indiana. He asked the young girl if she would ride around in his vehicle. She would get into the car and never be seen alive again.

Peter would drive her to the woods and attack the girl. He would sexually assault the girl and strip her of her clothes. Use them to tie her arms to her side. He would then strangle the poor girl to death. He would dig out a grave by hand in the sand dunes and bury her.

After hearing that the girl was missing a witness stated that the girl had gotten into Peter's car. This lead police to look for him. He was then caught in Chicago, Illinois a few days later. They would grill Peter for Annie's location. He would bring them to her body.

He was sentenced the death penalty. He would be set to die on Jan. 30, 1925 by electric chair.

When newspaper reporters went down to see Peter before his execution he seemed unbothered by it. He was leaned back in his chair with his feet propped up smoking a corncob pipe. He greeted the reporters and asked if they brought him some moonshine. He would state that he would leave for the old world and have women,  moonshine, a big car and no fare to pay. When they started shaving his hair he made a joke that it would just mean he can see the smoke better.

When he went to the chair he was still indifferent to his fate. At 12:02 a.m. the electricity was turned on and was pronounced dead at 12:06 a.m.

SOURCES:
Legal Execution in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri
Horror History
The Huntsville Times Sep 25, 1924
Green Bay Press-Gazette  Sep 25, 1924
Middlesboro Daily News Sep. 25, 1924
The Billings Weekley Gazette Sep. 30, 1924
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jan 30, 1925
The Morning Call Jan 31, 1925
Journal and Courier Jan 31, 1925

Murder of Blanche Packer

In August of 1904 21-year-old Blanche Parker and her husband George moved into a home 1 mile east of Clarkton, North Carolina. George worked at a logging camp 6 miles from their home and when he was gone 17-year-old Sam Russ, a cousin of Blanche stayed with her.

On the morning of September 3, 1904, Blanche sent Sam out to dig potatoes about a mile away. When he returned around an hour later Blanche wasn't in the home and the kitchen was a mess. The pie she was baking was also on the floor. This raised alarms with Sam and he went to get help. It was obvious there was a struggle through the cornfield and pieces of clothing were found. Blanche's body would soon be found in a wooded area. She had been brutally raped and murdered.

It was believed that 34-year-old Dave Brown and 34-year-old Neil Sellers had attacked Blanche in her home. They forced her out of the home and dragged her through a cornfield and to the woods. Her clothes were torn off and she fought with her attackers greatly. Evidence showed she had gotten away once but was recaptured by them. She would be brutally raped.

They had brought a knife, but it was too dull to slice her neck and had beaten her with a fence rail. her head had been beaten in and she was also mutilated in such a way as to try to hide the sexual assault. She would be found lying face down with her feet towards the cornfield and her head in a stump hole.

The two would-be soon suspected and arrested for the murder. One of the men stated that they made a deal to attack the woman, but the other had finished and killed her. This confession was done right after their arrest. Articles had stated that both men had done this, so I'm unsure which one made this statement. 

To avoid the two being lynched they were taken to Wilmington jail to avoid Lynchers. The men would be found guilty of the murder and set to hang on November 16, 1904. Both would remain adamant of being innocent of the crime. They were calm on the scaffolds and told the crowd they were innocent. Both were hanged until dead. 

SOURCES:

Legal Executions In North Carolina and South Carolina pg 50

Wilmington Morning Star September 9, 1904

The Semi-Weekly Messenger November 18, 1904

The Semi-Weekly Messenger November 18, 1904

Murder of Hazel Weinstein

On July 7, 1914, a salesman named 27-year-old Roswell Smith would lure 4-year-old Hazel Weinstein into an alley near her home in Chicago, Illinois. Roswell would then sexually assault the young girl. During the assault, he either strangled or suffocated the girl. Panicked he went to a nearby house and knocked on the door holding the girl who was faintly breathing. He would tell them that he found the girl in the alley this way. She would die a short time later.

A witness would come forward stating that a man that looked like Roswell was with the girl a short time before her death. Roswell would confess that he had a flash the Tuesday night before the attack and he became obsessed with the idea. They would then try to claim that his seizures caused him to attack and kill the girl. He was also considered mentally "defective" and eccentric, but harmless. He would still be found guilty and sentenced to hang.

On Feb. 13, 1915, Roswell would be executed. His last words before executions were; "I will raise my eyes unto the hills, whence cometh my help."

SOURCES:
Homicide in Chicago
Last Words of Executed
Horror History
The Rock Island Argus July 8, 1914
The Day Book  July 8, 1914
Chicago Tribune July 9, 1914
The Daily Chronicle July 29, 1914
Chicago Tribune November 13, 1914
Carbondale Free Press November 16, 1914

Murder of Mathilda Russo

On June 4, 1921 7-year-old Mathilda Russo was outside of her Moorestown, New Jersey home around 7 and 8 that night. Her mother heard a scream but ignored it thinking she was just playing. It wasn't until later that night they found out that their daughter was missing. It wasn't until June 11th they knew what had happened to their daughter. Her mother didn't report the scream when they contacted the police.

A neighbor of the Russo's was that of a black family. The police did not initially suspect Louis Lively and interviewed him. He stated he had he and his wife and 5-year-old son had visited a south New Jersey town called Swanton. The family had previously lived there before they moved to their current home three months before. Police found that Louis's story was falling apart. He had a bad reputation in Swainton and had been in jail several times and he wasn't in Swainton.

This led police to search the home's cellar. She was found buried 3 feet under the dirt floor of the family's home. She was nude, had a bruised head, and her stomach and throat had been slashed. It was also found that the girl was sexually assaulted.

It turns out the Louis Lively somehow convinced the girl into his home. At the time his wife and son were out of the home. He then attacked and killed the young girl and likely died the night she disappeared. It was initially believed that his wife didn't know he killed the girl. They kept her in jail anyway.

Many of the black community in Moorestown were outraged about this crime. They had even asked if it was allowed to lynch Louis Lively. The black community wanted to do it themselves "as race itself is opposed to men like Lively".

Louis was found on October 19, 1921 and arrested in Vineyard, New Jersey. While being arrested he shot one of the police officers three times. After a long sleep in jail, Louis admitted that he did tell his wife that he murdered the girl before the body was found.

Louis went to trial and was charged with the Death Penalty. He was then executed on Jan. 17, 1922 by Electric Chair.

SOURCES:
Find A Grave
The Pioneer
The Morning Post
The Evening Times 
Daily News
The Standard Union
Ironwood Daily Globe
The Cincinnati Enquirer 

Murder of Lottie Rowe

On April 28, 1894, 15-year-old Lottie Rowe 300 yards outside of her home which was 2 miles east of Staunton, Virginia. She was with Charles Bradford. That was when 46-year-old Lawrence Spiller saw the two. He would beat Charles insensible with a biley and would draw Lottie away.

He would bring Lottie over to a nearby field and would rape her. He said that she figured out who he was and this caused him to kill her. He would beat her head in severely with a rock. He would then carry her body to the nearby railroad track hoping that a train would destroy the body. Her body would be found before that would happen. 

Lawrence would not admit at trial that he had murdered the girl, but before his execution he did. On June 8, 1894, he would be hanged, and his death would be instant as the rope had broken his neck. 

SOURCES:

Legal Executions in Deleware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia pg 92

The Macon Telegraph May 3, 1894

Chattanooga Daily Times May 3, 1894

Harrisburg Daily Independent June 8, 1894

Alexandria Gazette June 8, 1894

The Gatton Tragedy: Murder of the Murphy Siblings

Norah              Michael                Ellen

On the night of December 26, 1898, around 8 p.m. 27-year-old Norah, 18-year-old Ellen, and 29-year-old Michael Murphy left their home at Black Fellow's Creek outside of Gatton, Australia in a two-wheeled cart. Michael was driving his sisters to a dance held at the Gatton Divisional Hall and hoped to arrive by 9.  

The trio didn't know that the dance was to be canceled due to the lack of female attendance. They arrived and realized it had been canceled and headed back home. But they were to never return. 

Their mother had gotten worried and knew something was off. She sent her son-in-law William McNeil into Gatton to see why the siblings didn't return. That morning he found them after following his Sulky's distinctive track marks (due to a wobbly wheel) on the road. He followed them and found their bodies in a horrifying sight.  The police were soon contacted. 

The scene was marked off, but townspeople hearing of the murders came to the scene. It was contaminated by onlookers. The bodies were brought to a local hotel for autopsy. 

At the scene, Ellen and Michael were laying back to back while Norah lay a few yards away on a neatly spread rug. The girls had them hands tied behind their backs with handkerchiefs. Micheal had been both beaten and shot to death. He may have had his hands tied together at one point.The girls had been sexually assaulted and then they were beaten to death. Norah may have also been strangled. Nora had a hames strap tightly wrapped around her neck. Their horse had been shot and killed and 15 shillings were missing from Michaels purse. His purse was in his hand and a breeching strap nearby. 

Some suspected maybe they were killed by family members or they had been killed by a local priest as someone heard a woman screaming "father" that night. But the police believed that it may have been a transient who was in the area who killed the three.

They had two main suspects one was man name Richard Burgess, but he had a solid alibi and the other was a man named Thomas Day. Thomas's hut was near the scene and someone claimed to see him wash the blood from a pullover days later. But there was no clear evidence of who the murderer or murders were. No one was charged with this case and will remain unsolved. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia
Gatton Murders
Western Mail
Daily News
Huff Post