On August 17, 1907, an infant was found dead in Tombstone, Arizona. He was a white newborn believed to be alive for hours and died just an hour before his body was found. He had been asphyxiated.
SOURCES:
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Murder of Italino Iacomelli
On August 16, 1925, 4/5-year-old Italino lacomelli was murdered when he was playing with his hoop at a park in Genoa, Italy. There is little information in this case (at least in English).
SOURCES:
Friday, August 12, 2022
Unsolved Murder of Anna Ulm
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In the summer of 1933 45-year-old Anna Ulm was staying at a cottage on Lake Hopatcong in Mount Arlington, New Jersey with her sister. On the morning of August 13, 1933, Anna told her sister she was going to go pick flowers. She did not return back that night and her sister called the police and reported her missing. Searchers were sent out to find the woman.
Anna would be found hanging from a tree by searchers. It was initially believed that she had committed suicide, but it was to be false. Someone had beat her with a heavy stone crushing her head with it. They then hung her from the tree possibly hoping that they would think she had killed herself.
It's unknown what the motive for the murder was. She was not sexually assaulted and robbery wasn't as her two diamond rings were untouched. One theory was that someone may have targeted her because she worked for her brother-in-law who was a chiropractor. At the time there had been two bombings of Chiropractor offices in Patterson.
SOURCES:
The Courier News August 15, 1933
Daily News August 16, 1933
The Daily Record August 19, 1933
The Patch June 4, 2016
Tuesday, August 9, 2022
UNIDENTIFIED: August of 1922 Ventura County, California John Doe
In August of 1922 several small boys playing near the S.P. tracks and Edwards Ranch four miles east of Santicoy, California. The boy noted a strong odor and found a body. They would then tell S.S. Beaman who inturn informed the Sheriff.
It was determined that the body belonged to a man and he had recently committed suicide with a .32 caliber. There was a pile of ashes near the body presuming that the man may have burned anything that would identify him. His glasses also had a name that was scratched off. He was found parlty undressed and wrapped himself up in some blankets. It was as if he had gone to sleep for the night only to kill himself. He was recognizable, but his features were swollen
He was a male around 30-years-old. He had fairly good clothes, blanket, $9 in change, and a watch.
SOURCES:
Monday, August 8, 2022
Murder of Catherine (Katie) Shands
On August 8, 1922, 28-year-old Ernest Shands would attack his wife 29-year-old Katie with a hatchet. He had the weapon hidden in their home on 225 D street in Washingtion D.C. He had previously threatened to hurt his wife and was jealous of her. On this day he told her to "change her ways" and in response she laughed at him which angered him. He would grab the hatchet and hit her about the head with it.
Katie did not automatically die from this. Police told Ernest that she was still alive and he was quoted telling police "If she ain't dead let me go over and finish the job." Katie would not live long as her wounds were too severe she would die 8 days later on the 16th.
It only required two hours for Ernest to be convicted. He would then be executed on March 9, 1923.
SOURCES:
The Washington Times September 17, 1922
The Evening Star September 17, 1922
The Evening Star September 19, 1922
The Washington Herald November 16, 1922
The Washington Herald December 15, 1922
The Evening Star December 22, 1922
The Washington Herald December 23, 1922
Thursday, August 4, 2022
Lovers of Modena
In 2009 archeologists found a pair of skeletons in present-day Modena, Italy. The skeletons were buried with their hands interlocked. It's believed that two had died between the 4th and 6th century CE. It's believed the area they were found may have been a war cemetery.
It was an unusual grave as at the time people were not typically buried holding hands. It is not unheard of though as there were many other similar burials that went against the norm throughout history. Initially, because of the pose, it was believed that it was a man and a woman in the grave, but later testings on the enamel peptides by the University of Bologna proved it wrong. Both people in the grave were middle-aged men. It's unknown what the relationship was between the two. It's possible instead of lovers, they could have been, siblings, cousins, or close friends. All is known is that they would not have been buried this way without some sort of close relationship.
SOURCES:
Wikipedia
Monday, August 1, 2022
Murder of Florence Sutton
On August 2, 1891, 10-year-old Florence Sutton was home with her mother in Lake Creek Township, Carolina. His mother would send Florence to a neighbor to get a gallon of cider. James Johnson would visit their home.
Florence would come across John on the road and he would attack her. He would sexually assault the girl and strangled her to death. She would be reported missing that night. A search would be done for Florence and James, knowing they wouldn't find her, joined the search.
James was suspected (I couldn't find a reason why) so he was being carefully watched. He would quickly bury Florence in the woods. He would place the young girl face down in her grave. He buried her in such a shallow grave her foot stuck out.
On August 4th John would flee. He would be soon caught in Parkersburg about 10 miles from where Florence was murdered. A Mr. Parker saw John pass his place. He recognized him as being a wanted man and pursued and caught him. John would first deny that it was him and then he would confess that it was and allegedly confessed to the crime and indicated that Florence's father Albert and another man Lawson Bryant was involved.
There were talks of lynching him in Parkersburg, but it did not happen. He would be handed over to Balden and placed under a strong guard. It was found and believed that Albert and Lawson were not involved in the murder, so John was the only one put to trial.
James would plea guilty and was sentenced to death. He would be executed on December 11, 1891, in Elizabethtown.
SOURCES:
Legal Executions in North Carolina and South Carolina pg 38
Wilmington Morning Star August 4, 1891
The Wilmington Morning Star August 5, 1891
Fayetteville Weekly Observer August 6, 1891
The Ashville Weekly Citizen August 13, 1891
Greensboro North State August 13, 1891
The Weekly Star August 14, 1891
The Roxboro Courier November 12, 1891
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