November, 15, 1924 Yuma, Arizona John Doe

On November 15, 1924, a man would die from Suffocating from Cotton Seed it's not listed if it was accidental or not.  He was buried at the Yuma Pioneer Cemetery in Yuma.

John Doe is a white male around 45-years-old.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

INFANTICIDE: December 27, 1902 Marylebone, London, England Baby Girl

On December 27, 1902, a baby was found wrapped up in a parcel beside the Great Central Railway at Rossmore Road Bridge in Marylebone. The infant had been born alive and healthy. It was found that she had a bruise over the right eye and her nostrils flattened. It's believed that something was pushed onto her face to cause suffocation leading to her death. 

The coroner added that the baby may have been a victim of baby farming and was part of the illegal disposal of infants at the time.


SOURCES:
Unsolved Murders UK

INFANTICIDE: December 21, 1940 Derby, England Baby Doe

  On December 21, 1940, the body of a newborn girl was found on the bank of the River Derwent at Derby, England. She was wrapped up in sacking and a piece of mackintosh and a part of an apron and tied up with several yards of tape. Her body had been in the river for some time and had washed down the river where it was found. She was born alive and died of asphyxiation, but it does not state whether or not it was from suffocation or drowning.

SOURCES: 

Unsolved Murders UK

INFANTICIDE: November 29, 1922 Brighton to Victoria, England Baby Doe

On November 29, 1922, on the 10:00 a.m. train from Brighton to Victoria, in England, the body of a baby boy was found wrapped in satin and brown paper. The baby was a newborn and had likely been suffocated from direct pressure on its mouth. There was evidence of the baby being placed in an oven and baked, but it's unknown if this happened before or after death. The baby was placed there at Brighton or one of 14 stops between Brighton and Victoria. It was assumed that the mother was a young woman and who was a cook.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Taunton Courier, Bristol and Exeter Journal and Western Advertiser December 13, 1922

Unsolved Murder of Jonathan Alonzo Anthony

 On November 17, 1953 neighbors of 75-year-old Jonathan Anthony went to check up on him as they had not seen him for two days. They went to his home Burnetts Chapel Rd in Greensboro, North Carolina. He had been bound, severely beaten, and gagged. He was beaten before he was bound and had been suffocated with a torn bed sheet. A blood-stained trowel was found on a shelf on the back porch.

SOURCES:

Rocky Mount Telegram November 19, 1953

The Herald-Sun November 19, 1953

The News and Observer November 19, 1953

The Durham Sun December 11, 1953

Murder of Auli Kyllikki Saari

 

Auli Kyllikki Saari(back right) with her sisters

On May 17, 1953, 17-year-old Auli Kyllikki Saari was cycling to her home in Isojoki, Finland from a prayer meeting in Merikarvia. On this particular day, she stated that she was tired, and others found this unusual. She stated that she was going to attend another prayer meeting at Kortteenkylä village schoolhouse. At 6pm she left on her bike and rode 40 minutes to the prayer meeting.

Maiju, a friend of Kyllikki, also attended this meeting. The two would ride home together at 10 p.m. and at 10:30 the two would separate at an intersection. Maiju noted that her friend seemed apprehensive and depressed. When they had gotten to where they needed to separate she seemed nervous to go on alone stating, "Probably it goes now as it has before. Bye then, Maiju." 

A man named Tie-Jaska saw her a mile further from where she and her friend separated. After this, no one saw Kyllikki alive again. She did not arrive home and her family assumed that she stayed the night with Maiju. When she didn't arrive home two days later they assumed she was staying with someone in Isojoki to be closer to work. They would find out she didn't show up to work and didn't see her. She would be reported missing two days after she disappeared.

In the weeks after her disappearance witnesses stated that there was a suspicious cream-hues car with a bike in a nearby storage compartment. Others state that they have heard cries and sobs for help neat the lake in Karrankaja. No one knew what had happened to Kyllikki until October 11, 1953. Her body would be pulled from a bog. 

The bog was close by to where Kyllikki was last seen and it was obvious she had been killed. She had been pushed down with a pine branch into the bog. She was nude from the waist down and her jacket was wrapped around her head.  She had either been suffocated or died from blunt force trauma to her head. It's unknown if she had been sexually assaulted or not.

The pine branch used to push her and keep her in the bog was freshly cut. It had been sharpened by someone who was left-handed. Her shoe, scarf, and a man's sock were also found there. Items of hers were missing though, her wristwatch, red cloth purse, and hymn book were never found.

Kyllikki wasn't one to go out to dances or entertainments. It's believed that she did not have a boyfriend as she didn't tell anyone about having one. She had told an older female friend she had no interest in men and didn't want to get married.

The person who killed Kyllikki had to of been strong. Alli, her older sister, said that Kyllikki was strong and had good arm strength. Not only that, but the person must have carried the girl a distance to the bog, dig, and then refill the grave. Which would have taken some strength to do.

There were several suspects in the crime, but no ones been convicted in the girls murder.

SOURCES:
Wikipedia

Mysteries Unsolved

History of Yesterday

Murder of Annie Yates

 In 1884, 23/24-years-old Annie Yates was living at No. 12, Burton-Crescent St. (now known as Cartwright Gardens) in London, England. It was a home that rented out furnished apartments to women. Annie's room was on the first floor in the back. At the time Annie was working as a prostitute. Annie's past is a bit mysterious. It's believed that Annie Yates was an alias as a friend said that her name was Mary Anne Marshall, and her friends were in Reading. One article refers to her as Mary Anne Yates. 

On the night of 8 March 1884 Annie Yates and another lodger Annie Ellis this was not unusual for the pair. Around 1 a.m. The two would part at Euston road as Annie Yates had gotten into a conversation with a well-dressed man. It wouldn't be until around 2 a.m. that Annie was heard coming home with a man who is assumed to be the same man she was seen with earlier. 

Around 3 a.m. screams were heard from Annie's room, but it wasn't unusual. The other lodgers said that she would go into bouts of hysteria and those sounded similar to her screaming that night. A considerable time after the screaming sounds of a man going downstairs and leaving the house was heard. This was also not an uncommon sound in the place so nobody went to check.

Annie would not end up coming down for breakfast. Between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. Annie Ellis went upstairs to check on her friend. The door was already open a crack so Annie E. went inside. What she saw was the bedding piled up on something. Seeing Annie's foot sticking out from underneath Annie E. pulled them off. 

Annie was laying on her stomach. She was partially dressed and was laying in a pool of her blood. She had a serious gash on the left side of her head above her ear and had a towel tightly tied around her mouth with the knot on the back of her head. Annie E. noted that there were bruises on the back of her legs. It was found that there was blood on the wall bed and towel. 

The alarm was raised to Mrs. Apex the landlady of the house. Mrs. Apex would send for medical help and notified the police station. Unfortunately, Annie had been dead for hours and it was believed the towel wrapped around her mouth had led to her suffocating.

Police searched for the weapon used to hit Annie, but it was not found. It's likely the wound on her head knocked her out and then the towel was tied around her mouth while she was unconscious It's unknown if he did intend to kill Annie or to silence her in case she woke up.

The room had also seemed to have been ransacked. It was found that the killer had possibly stolen a dark leather purse with a clamp and a gold ring Annie was wearing that night/morning was gone. Annies ring was described as 9-carat gold with three gems, a turquoise gem in the middle with two pearls on either side of it. 

The man last seen with Annie was around 25-years-old. He was described as being fair, with a medium height. He was wearing a black felt hat, brown cutaway coat, he seemed to have a respectable appearance.

According to Wikipedia, this murder was never solved.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

The Times 9 March 1884

The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, Western Countries and South Wales Advertiser 15 March 1884

The Preston Chronicle and Lancashire Advertiser 22 March 1884

INFANTICIDE: August 26, 1952 Dunblane, Scotland

 On August 26, 1952, a newborn baby was found Thornhill to Callander Rd in Dunblane, Scotland. She was found lying among pieces of newspaper, garbage, and potato peelings. The baby was found alive and was murdered. Someone had shove portions of newspaper down her throat. It's believed that someone may have taken the child there in a garbage pail, probably by car, and disposed of the previous night.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

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

INFANTICIDE: June 30, London, England Baby Doe

On June 30, 1904, the body of a newborn baby boy was found in London, England. He had died due to suffocation caused by duct tape being wrapped around his neck. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

London Metropolitan Archives City of London Coroners Court Page 110

Unsolved Murders

Murder of Chrissie Clare Venn

On Feb. 20, 1921, around 5 p.m. 13-year-old Chrissie Venn left her home on Allison Road in North Motton, Tasmania, Australia. She was going to run some errands and it was only 3 miles away. She didn't return home and this worried her family. A search was had, but she wasn't found till March 1st in a tree stump that was close to Allison rd, which she used to walk into town.

There are two different stories of how she was found and the condition of her body. Her body was either mutilated and left in a hollow tree stump or she was suffocated or stranged with no mutilation. She was half-dressed and seemed to have been sexually assaulted. One source states that twine used for hay bailing was tied around her neck and her mouth was stuffed with pieces of cloth from her dress, and the cloth had a gold pin attached to it.

It's believed that she may have died sometime on Feb 26th.

Former police officer and minor, George William King, was tried for the crime. He had cuts on his hands that made him suspicious. He claimed his hands were cut up due to a log falling on them while searching for Chrissie. The trial started on August 21 of the same year and was done in Hobart. Albert Ogilvie defended him and William was found not guilty.

It's believed that Chrissie haunts the road she was killed on.

SOURCES:
Find a Grave
Daily Herald
Examiner
Revolvy
Wikipedia
Press Reader

Murders of Phoebe Hogg and her daughter Phoebe Hogg

Wax sculpture of Mary Pearcey

In 1890 Mary Eleanor (Wheeler) Pearcey was hung for killing her lover's wife and baby in North London, England. More is known about Mary than Phoebe and baby Phoebe due to a mysterious ad she placed in the newspaper.

 At the time of the murders, she was 24 years old and was described as 5'6" and had a 'lovely russet of hair and fine blue eyes," she was also described as having a normal build and shapely hands. She wasn't the prettiest of women but had no problem attracting men.

In her late teens, she was in a relationship with a carpenter named John Charles Pearcey. She took his name though they weren't married. She continued to use it even after their relationship was over, Mary never really had to work as she associated herself with better off men. She had several admirers who paid for things for her including her rented room.

Mary suffered from depression and would drink heavily. She only had her mother and sisters as her only living relatives. She had other suitors and in addition to Charles Creighton who paid for her room, she fell for Frank Hoggs. He was a furniture remover and impressed Mary with his printed cards.

She would put a light in her window to let Frank know she was free and he would let himself in with his copy of a key. Frank and Mary were somewhat together but had affairs with other people. Frank had gotten another girl pregnant and was to marry her. Mary was slightly upset but asked if they could still have an affair and she'll treat his soon to be wife as a friend. They agreed to this.

Phoebe Styles thus married Frank Hogg in November of 1888. At the time she was three months pregnant and gave birth to their daughter Pheobe in the summer of 1889. The affair between Frank and Mary continued like planned.

On October 24, 1890, Mary allegedly asked young Willie Holmes to run an errand for her. She asked him to deliver a note to Phoebe Hoggs for a penny. He delivered the note and inside it was Mary inviting Pheobe over for tea.

Around 4 p.m. Charlotte Priddington, a neighbor of Mary heard the sound of breaking glass coming from Mary's. Worried she called over the fence asking if Mary was alright. She got no response. Sometime between 4 and 7 a neighbor saw Mary walking with a baby pram with a heavy object inside it.

At 7.p.m A man was returning back home from work. He found Phoebe's body was found lying on a pavement in Crossfield Road. Her head was wrapped in a cardigan which he removed and saw her bloodstained face.

Phoebe's skull had been fractured and her throat had been slit. Her throat had been nearly decapitated from the slit. There were bruises on her head and arms showing she was trying to defend herself. It was found she was murdered elsewhere and left there. She wasn't identified at the time and her baby wasn't with her.

The next morning a constable found a bloody pram in Hamilton Terrace a mile away from Phoebe. The body of baby Phoebe was found the next day. She had been suffocated to death. It was unknown whether or not it was intentional. She was either killed during or after the murder of her mother. She could have possibly been killed in the pram from her mother's body being placed upon her.

Frank had sent his sister Clara to go ask Mary if they had seen Phoebe and the baby. Mary denied seeing her and went with Clara to see if the bodies in the morgue were Phoebe and the baby. Mary's behavior became strange at the morgue. It was like Mary was trying to prevent Clara from identifying them. Clara went and identified them.

When Frank heard the news that they were dead he admitted to having an affair with Mary. Police went to her home on Priory St. and found the kitchen bloodstained and the windows were broken. It was obvious that this was a crime scene. A rug with bloodstains was attempted to be cleaned with paraffin. as a bloodstained poker and knife had also been found. When asked about it Mary responded with "Killing mice, killing mice, killing mice." Police searched the house with her there and she played popular songs on her piano.

Mary was arrested, and when Mary was searched there were bloodstains on her clothes, scratched on her hands and two wedding rings. One of which was Phoebe's.

While waiting in police court awaiting the committal hearing Mary started to talk to Sarah Sawhill, a woman looking after her. She told her that Phoebe did come over for tea. Phoebe had said something that offended Mary and they argued. Mary went silent as soon as she realized she was incriminating herself.

Mary had entered a plea of not guilty. She was hanged on December 23, 1890. It was noted that Mary seemed to have been calm and accepted her fate. Upon learning her fate she requested an ad to be placed in the newspaper.

"MECP Last wish of MEW. Have not betrayed. MEW"

She would not elaborate what the message had meant, but it could be assumed that MEW was referencing to herself. As her birth name was Mary Eleanor Wheeler. That would mean MECP may also be a person, but who the message was for and what it meant is unknown.

Some believe that she was possibly a Jack the Ripper suspect for the brutal way Mary had slit Pheobe's throat and ditched her in a public place. Some believe Jack The Ripper had killed in private. This though contradicts the information of the crimes which took place at the place the bodies were found.

SOURCES:
Casebook
Historic Mysteries
Capital Punishment UK
Find a Grave

Murder of Martha Halliday

 The owner Rev. Samuel Benard Taylor and family went to stay with his father-in-law. 55-year-old Martha Halliday looked after the rectory in Kingsworth, England while they were gone. On the night of June 10, 1861, Martha slept alone at the Rectory. Her husband had left the place around 6 p.m.to go home as she slept there. She wasn't afraid to sleep alone there as she had done it before.

The next morning he went to go get her so she could do some household chores at their home. He was alarmed to see the shutters were not opened yet and the back door was still locked. This was not usual. He then rushed to the front of the home. He found the door was ajar.

He was worried about his wife. The first thing he did was rush to the kitchen but found nothing unusual there. He then rushed upstairs and went to the room he thought she was going to sleep in. This was when he found his poor wife.

Martha was found bound on the floor in her nightdress. Her dress seemed to have been lifted over her head as if from being dragged out of bed.  Her hands and legs were bound in a cord. A colored silk handkerchief was found around her mouth and tied to the top of her head. She was dead. She had suffocated from the gag.

It's believed that the murderers first tried to enter the house through the kitchen windows, but because the shutters were secured there was no way in through there. They then climbed on the small roof that was in front of Martha's window. They broke the window and climbed in. The murderer must have cut themselves doing this as blood was found at the scene.

A pocketbook not belonging to anyone in the Rectory was found at the scene. It was believed to have fallen out of their coat pocket as they helped with binding Martha. Things in the place were ransacked and stolen.

They then found suspect 25-year-old Johann Carl Franz from Saxony, Germany.  He initially gave his name as August Saltzman, but it was found to be false soon. The pocketbook that was found at the scene was found to be his. He claimed that his personal belongings were stolen at Leeds by a man named Adolphe Khorn another man from Germany. He said tha Krohn and his friend claimed to want to rob a priest.

They found a 25-year-old German suspect by the name of Johann Carl Franz. He initially gave his name as August Saltzman. He lied about his name, but it was found it was false. He then said that a man named Adolphe Khron stole his personal belongings at Leeds and said he was going to rob a priest.

They put Johann Carl Franz on trial. Everything was circumstantial though and the evidence was not strong. The Jurors came back with a not guilty for the crime.


SOURCES:
Unsolved Murders
Lloyds Weekly Newspaper
The Hull Packet East Riding Times
Rivals of The Ripper (Chapter 1)
The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, Western Countries and South Wales Advertiser