Thursday, December 31, 2020

Unsolved Deepdive; Crimes, The Salish Sea Feet

The What?: So there's been some weird nonsense going on in the Salish Sea. What the heck is going on? Feet are washing up on shore. Why? No one really seems to know.

My Opinion: Tragically, I think these feet are those of those who have chosen to take their own lives or have died in other disastrous situations. Anytime a body is lost at sea, it is going to decompose or be eaten at by wildlife and the bones will sink to the bottom of the ocean. More than likely the only parts that will parts that will survive are the feet; they are protected by shoes from decomposition and wildlife and the shoes can float. If possible, I think it is important for officials to DNA test any feet that wash up on shore, this way we can both keep track of the remains and connect them to any missing persons cases. This way we might be able to connect the remains to their loved ones and solve what is actually going on.

...Stay Tuned...

Sources and Further Reading:

Unsolved Crimes: infamous cases that have puzzled the greatest minds by Sarah Herman

Unsolved Enigmas: incredible events that have puzzled the greatest minds by Sam Pilger and Leo Moynihan

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Random Post: Keith Morrison, Dateline, & Bill Hader

 So this is a completely random post. It is no secret that I have a love for true crime. Dateline is my absolute favorite show and I've seen nearly every episode at least once or twice. My reason for this post is to find the specific episode in which Keith Morrison states, "Oh that pesky DNA," as quoted by comedian, Bill Hader. From my search it looks like the episode aired sometime before the year 2016 (according to a poster on a random website). It was definitely in an episode before 2016 which was the interview in which Bill Hader references the quote. I remember it being in one of the previews for the week's episode, right at the end of the episode. 

It is important to note that Morrison states he never used the phrase "pesky DNA" as stated in the article linked below. Bill Hader, however, refutes this by referring to a texted he received from from fellow former employee of SNL, John Mulaney, who allegedly saw the clip.

If anyone knows which episode I'm referencing, please (PLEASE!!) let me know.


Sources and Further Info:

Bill Hader interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIjjyXSo5ao&ab_channel=TODAY

Keith Morrison interview https://www.thewrap.com/dateline-nbcs-keith-morrison-had-to-be-dragged-into-true-crime-storytelling-exclusive/

Bill Hader reference to text https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIVJ-2uGiqU&list=WL&index=2&ab_channel=Gabbyb133


Monday, December 28, 2020

Unsolved Deepdive: Crimes; the Black Dahlia/ The Cleveland Torso Murders

First, the Black Dahlia Case:

When: January 15, 1947

Where: Los Angeles, CA

The Before: Elizabeth Short was a vivacious young woman, filled with the dreams of Hollywood Stardom. Born in Massachusetts and after spending some time in Florida, she moved to California in 1942.

    On January 9, 1947 Short spent the evening with Robert Manley. Manley stated that he had dropped Short of that evening at the Biltmore Hotel, now renamed the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. Hotel employees confirmed Short returned to the hotel that night.

    Short's body was found January 15th at 10 am. Her body was bisected just below the waist, her spine severed completely and the bones still intact. Her face had also been mutilated; the killer slitting her mouth from ear to ear. There was no blood. and later examination showed that she had been dissected; her internal organs having been completely removed.   

Second, how is this connected the the Cleveland Torso Murders?:

The Suspects and Possible Connections: The Cleveland Torso Murderer, aka allegedly Jack Anderson or Francis Sweeney, is connected to the Black Dahlia case through a letter, in which the killer states that he spends his winters in California. The Chicago Lipstick Murderer, aka allegedly William Heirens. George Hill Hodel, a doctor that had been living in the area who has been accused by two of his children. Leslie Dillon, an employee of the hotel where Short had been staying and allegedly been associated with a hotel room covered in mixture of blood and feces found the morning Short's body was found.


...Stay Tuned...


Sources and Further Reading:

Unsolved Crimes: infamous cases that have puzzled the greatest minds by Sarah Herman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Dahlia


Saturday, November 7, 2020

The Unsolved Series: a deepdive

 I have been reading a series of books I've found over the years browsing my local Barnes and Noble. (I found them in pre-covid times of course.) At this point, I have four of them; Unsolved Crimes by Sarah Herman, Unsolved Deaths by Charles Phillips, Unsolved Enigmas by Sam Pilger and Leo Moynihan, and Unsolved Mysteries by Joel Levy. Over the next few weeks (months?) I'm going to go through their books and take a look at each of some of their cases in a little more detail. Let's see if we can solve anything.


...Stay Tuned...

The Cases that Haunt Us by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker: A Review

The Before:
I had been trying to get my hands on a copy of this book for a while. They had a copy at my local library that I requested. However, after waiting for a few months, I check back to see the copy had been lost. That's when I decided to order a copy from Thriftbooks.com. 

The Feels:
This is a nice place to get started on some pretty famous true crime cases. Everything is pretty well laid out and nicely organized. Douglas and Olshaker clearly did their research.


The Concerns:
Why is this so white? I know they are famous cases, but I wish there would have beens something new in here. Maybe I'm just not the right audience for this. I would have been nice though to have included at least one new story from a POC/BIPOC culture. There are a lot of great mysteries and they aren't talked about. 



The Score:
Plot: N/A
Writing Style: 6/10
Meaningfulness: 5/10

...Stay Tuned...

Thursday, October 8, 2020

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

The Mysteries of Steve Snedgar


Here is a timeline of the mysteries surrounding Steve Snedgar. Keep digging!


First Disappearance:

Daughter, Lora Morris (22yo). Recently divorced Bryce Morris. Daughter, Brandy was with Bryce during Aug of 1891

    Missing on night of August 10 1981, Parents, and Stephen Cabe Snedgar,  had just moved to Florida back in June and mom, Trudy, flew in that same day. Lora called ex-husband twice that night.

August 11, 1981 Trudy woke at 6:30 am to  no sign of her daughter. Called popo at 1:30pm

August 12, Trudy receive phone call saying they were going to get her.

August 13, woman calls claiming to be Lora saying she was being abused. Family believes it was her.

April 15 1982 body found in felid in Arlington Indiana. Popo think she was killed where she was found, but farmer said the body wasn't there back in October when he planted. Found in clothes she was wearing when she went missing. 

In 1994 her body was exhumed after a family friend came forward stating that at the behest of Trudy, he had placed a box with a note in her casket. Police later stated nothing relevant to the case had been found in the box.

Second Disappearance:

Three weeks later, Carmel, Indiana Paul Anthony Lambert tried to buy Steve's business, but $ fell through. Went out flying with Steve. Steven returned without Lambert.

Three years after Lora's disappearance, Tony McCullough (Lambert's business partner) received a phone call from Gary Stafford stating that he was hired by a man in Florida to kill McCullough in order to avenge death of his daughter, but if McCullough paid him $10,000 he wouldn't do it. McCullough called the popo and Stafford refused to name a coconspirator. 

Third Disappearance:

March 1982, 22 yo Charles Darwin Smith, a truck driver for Sendgar's oil business went to the police about a stranger interaction he had with Lora the day before she went missing. Told popo that Aug 9, Lora had shown up at his gas station with a disheveled looking man with tattoos. Smith had told Trudy about this incident and she told him to keep his story a secret. Days after talking to the police, Smith was was fired. Trudy then talked to the popo asking for Smith's info because her husband had a job for him. March 28, Smith's father-in-law dropped him off at John Rodger's Trucking Company and was never seen again. 

Fourth Disappearance:

A few years after Lora's disappearance, James A. Wilkies went missing. He was considered to have been working closely with Steve on his oil business. 

Fifth Disappearance: 

Lora's parents had divorced back in 1983 but remained living together. During the summer of 1986, Trudy told Lora's sister, Brenda, that for five nights in a row, she had woken up to her ex-husband holding a gun to her head. The night after, Trudy and Steve went out dancing. This was the last time Trudy was seen, but her disappearance was not reported for another year. Steve said he had had an argument with his wife and she moved to Tallahassee. He then showed Brenda that the trunk of his Mercedes was filled with cash and told Brenda to take the cash if he was arrested.


My Thoughts:

Steve Snedgar is a man with a checkered past. Back in the 1970's he'd spent some time on the run from the FBI and run a tractor theft ring. He was arrested but never charged. In the 80's he got involved in the oil business, making a fair profit. Did he make enough of a profit that he was willing to kill for it? Had he been involved in some shadier dealings? What this all revenge for the death of his daughter? The popo interviewed Steve about all of these disappearances. He said that if he had anything to tell, he would confess on his deathbed. In 1989 Steve was diagnosed with a terminal cancer. Upon his death, not confession was to be found, however the police did find a spot on the law where a bonfire had recently been. However, after his death, his children did find a map of their father's property with an X on it. Nothing was located after a search by police.


Problems with the investigation:

1988, multiple scandals broke in the Hancock sherriff's department; a murder-suicide, a five way sex tape, and a lead detective marrying the wife of a murder victim, whose death he was at the time investigating.


Theories:

1.) Steve was a drug runner and crossed someone that killed his daughter. Steven then hunted down those involved.

2.) Trudy killed Lora, possibly because she was considering getting back together with her ex-husband. Trudy then led Steven on a wild goose chase about who might be involved in the murder of their daughter. Steven then realized he'd been had by Trudy and killed her. 


Questions:

How long was Lora in the field for? Could the farmer missed her body in October? If she hadn't been in the field, had she been held? If she was being held, who was holding her?

Who made the phone calls? 

What happened on that plane with Lambert? Why did that case get dropped. Who paid the hitman to kill  McCullough?

Why did Trudy have to ask for Smith's phone number? As his former employer, wouldn't her husband have had it? Did Steve know Trudy had asked for Smith's number?


...Stay Tuned...


Sources and Further Readings:

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/i0yepf/after_steve_snedegars_daughter_lora_was_murdered/

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1440&bih=687&sxsrf=ALeKk00Am84nlnsr0334f72fCzX9h3xzGw%3A1596635106438&ei=4rcqX6CcGpmQtAbBmqzoBg&q=lora+morris+murder&oq=lora+morris+murder&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQA1CRS1j1TmDTUGgAcAB4AIABW4gB1wKSAQE0mAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesABAQ&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwigleuimYTrAhUZCM0KHUENC20Q4dUDCAw&uact=5

https://ididitforjodie.com/2017/10/23/hoosier-killer-lora-morris-an-indiana-murder-unsolved/

https://medium.com/@Unsolved_Mysteries/a-familys-legacy-power-greed-death-6068c0719295

Sunday, October 4, 2020

The Chesterville Witch

 

    In Chesterville, Illinois, you can find one of the most unusual gravesites in the United States. Grave site is half surrounded by an oak tree and the other half surrounded by a wrought iron fence. This much we know about the inhabitance of the grave:

    - The person is female

    - She was buried in the 19th century

    - She was accused of being a witch

     We do not know the name of this woman. It is believe that she was either fairly young or older and that she was possibly Amish. It has also been said that she was murdered. Her ghost is supposed to haunt the area around the graveyard.

    I don't know why this story has stuck out to me so much. I think I feel a kinship with this woman. Why was her murder so poorly recorded? It makes me think she must have been Amish, after all they keep to themselves. But who killed her? Where they Amish too? Did her community really think she was a witch? From what I understand, the Amish don't believe in witchcraft. I've heard of people buying "Amish Hex Symbols" to put on their barns, but from what I understand that is pretty much a silly Englisher thing. Maybe she took her own life? That would explain why the Amish remained silent on her death.  

    This is one of those stories that I would like to dig more into. Not only do I see a great story here, but I would like to see some justice for this poor woman. This is story that I don't think I'll be able to leave alone.


...Stay Tuned...


Sources and Further Readings:

https://www.seeaghost.com/chesterville-witch-s-grave

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/63663

https://www.hauntedillinois.com/realhauntedplaces/chesterville-witchs-grave.php

https://christyscauldron.com/2017/10/30/my-visit-to-the-chesterville-witchs-grave/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7dJDqW0twk&ab_channel=TheDuoFinds *Though I am not really a fan of people not taking this subject matter seriously. This is a video of two people explaining the story and sort of goofing around her grave. Remember, we don't really know what happened, but we do know a person died tragically and we should be respectful of that.


Sunday, August 23, 2020

Taliesin Massacre

Frank Lloyd Wright is perhaps one of the most famous people from Wisconsin. Today he is known for his marvelous architectural creations. Back in early 1900’s he was known for his philandering ways.

In 1911 he built a mansion for his mistress, Mamah Borthwick Cheney, in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

On August 15th, 1914, tragedy struck the household as everyone sat down for their midday meal. Julian Carlton, a servant at Taliesin took an axe and massacred nearly everyone in the house.

To better understand the mystery behind this story one must first look at the details.

Who was in the house?
Mamah Borthwick Cheney, mistress of the household
John (age 12) Mamah’s son
Martha (age 8) Mamah’s daughter
Julian Carlton, the servant from Barbados, married to Gertrude Carlton
Gertrude Carlton, the cook from Barbados, married to Julian Carlton
Edna Kritz, a neighbor girl and Martha’s friend
Six workmen, Tom Brunker, Billy Weston, Ernest Weston, Emil Brodelle, Herbert Fritz, and David Lindblom, all working on construction designs for Frank

What were the household relationships?
John and Martha were not Frank’s children, but the children from Mamah’s legal marriage to Edwin Cheney.

It is alleged that in July of 1914, Weston and Lindblom were at a tavern where they both stated their dislike for Julian Carlton.

Who was killed when?
First, Julian serves lunch to the six men working for Frank. He then serves lunch to Mamah and her children. He seals the door, blocking the workmen into their room. He then pours gasoline in the hall and lights it. Next, Julian goes over to the room where the family is eating. Mamah and her children were the first to be killed. Each was attacked with an axe. When he has finished killing the family, Julian goes back to the room where the workmen are trapped. He attacks Billy and Ernest Weston, David Lindblom, Emil Brodelle and Herbert Fritz. Herbert manages to escape by tumbling down a hill, though his arm is broken.

Billy Weston, David Lindblom, Herbert Fritz all managed to survive, though Lindblom passed away days later due to his burns. Mamah and her two children all died.

Now here’s where I am a little confused. All of the articles and books I have read say that seven people died in the house; Mamah, her two children, the neighbor girl (some reports neighbor boy), and four of the six workers. (But that adds up to 8? Perhaps they are not counting David Lindblom, because he did not die right away?) They then state that two survived. That would mean that there were eight (or nine) people in the house. However, all accounts state there were a total of ten people in the house, twelve if you include the Carltons.

Julian Carlton only lived for a few weeks after the massacre. In the last few weeks of his life, he never revealed why he did what he did. Some say it might have been racially motivated. Others theorize that it could have been because Julian and Gertrude were fired by Mamah. A few have even argued that Frank paid the Carltons to get rid of his mistress and her children.

You might also be asking where was Gertrude Carlton during the murders. Apparently she was absent from the scene, which leads to more questions. Where was she? Why was she there? Did she know the murders were going to happen? The police decided she didn't know anything about what her husband did, so they released her after a few days in jail.

Sources and Further Readings:

Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders by William R. Drennan



Friday, August 21, 2020

The Murder of Hae Min Lee

The murder of Hae Min Lee on January 13th, 1999 has gained popularity in recent years from the Serial and Undisclosed podcasts. It’s a true who-done-it case. The convicted killer and Hae’s ex boyfriend, Adnan Syed, pleads his innocence from prison.

In 2014, Sarah Koenig, one of the creators of Serial, investigated the case. She found many issues with both sides of the story.

The facts were simply not adding up, so I decided to do some digging of my own. The three major facts that stuck with me through all of my investigating.

  • Hae not leaving the parking lot after school:
    • Hae must have been stopped before leaving school that day. She was supposed to pick up a family member, and from what I understand, she was a very responsible young woman. It would have had to have been something important to stop her from picking up her cousin on time. What could have stopped her from leaving after school that day?
  • The phone call to Nisha at 3:32 on Adnan’s phone
  • Jen picking up Jay at BestBuy at 8:00:
    • Jen said she pick up Jay at BestBuy at 8:00 that night. How did he get there? According to reports he drove to school that day. Adnan was the one who needed a ride. So where was Jay’s car? Did Adnan have it? If so, why?

Then there is all the incriminating information about Jay. According to reports, Jay told about/showed a friend a dead body. That friend told a neighbor girl, but later changed their story when they found out that Jay was not in jail. My question is what was Jay’s relationship with Hae. How well did they know each other? According to Adnan, the day that Hae was will, Jay wanted to get a gift for his girlfriend. Who was she? Was she Hae or Jen? What was the relationship between Jen and Hae?

From the facts I have been able to come up with two possible theories for what happened that day:

Theory 1:
Jay killed Hae and told Jen. At 3:32 he butt-dials Neisha. He buries her body between 7:09 and 7:16. Jen picks up Jay at the BestBuy at 8:00

Theory 2:
Adnan and Jay killed Hae. At 3:32, Adnan purposely calls Nisha. Together, Jay and Adnan bury Hae at 7:09-7:16. Adnan drops Jay off at the BestBuy and keeps Jay’s car or somehow through the events of the night, they ended up in Adnan’s car.

As you can see, Jay is the main suspect in my opinion. He was the one who pointed the finger at Adnan and gave police the information. Most of the information Jay gave police was accurate, so he had to have been there. Either he killed Hae or he helped cover it up.

To find out what exactly happened, we need to know precisely two things, what cars were where and who was driving what car when. I honestly don’t know if any of my conclusions could be true. It’s very possible that I’m wrong and I certainly don’t want to accuse anyone, especially an innocent person. More work still needs to be done on this case, not just by me, but by the authorities. There is enough there to make any detective worth their snuff question the case. In the meantime….

….Stay Tuned….

Sources and Further Readings:







Thursday, August 20, 2020

The Zodiac Killer

Lately, I have been doing some more research on the Zodiac Killer. The other day, I was flipping through channels and found a documentary series on the Zodiac Killer called “The Hunt for the Zodiac” on the History Channel. (It’s not a great show and I’ve only caught a few episodes. If you’re in for a good laugh, maybe take a look, but I can’t be bothered to do a review on it.)

The episodes I watched were mostly about finding the Zodiac Killer, however, they did talk quite a bit about a case I had never heard of. Because of this, I will be more or less be splitting this story into three parts; a part about the Zodiac calendar, a part about Ross Sullivan, and a part about Donna Lass.

These are a few leads I had never heard of. I’ve done a quite a bit of research on these cases, and like what I have found. I’ve decided my information up into a few different postings, which I’ll be sharing with you all over the next few weeks.

….Stay Tuned….


First, I would like to address that the documentary brought to my attention the Zodiac calendar. This is a calendar that splits the year up into thirteen months based on the moon cycle. The days of the week are also named differently according to this calendar and they do not match up perfectly with our own. For example the first day of the week, according to the Zodiac calendar is “Dali”, but every Dali day is not Sunday, due to the incongruence of the twelve month Gregorian Calendar (the one most often used in the western world) and the thirteen month Lunar cycle/ Zodiac calendar.

The importance of this Zodiac calendar to this case is in fact the Dali day. The symbol for Dali is a circle with a cross at the center. It is the exact same symbol as the one used by the Zodiac. A coincidence? Perhaps. As the Queen of Mystery, Agatha Christie, herself once wrote, every situation is allowed one coincidence.

But when it comes to the Zodiac case and the Zodiac calendar, we have two coincidences. Not only did the Zodiac sign his letters with the Dali day symbol, but all of his known killings happened on Dali days. Yes, that’s right, all four known attacks were committed on Dali days. From what I understand, all the other crimes listed in my previous posting about the Zodiac Killer were committed on Dali days.

Could this just be another coincidence? Personally, I think not. The Zodiac was not just some crazy lunatic. I think he was more of a true “lunatic”, if you look at the historical definition. Lunatic come from the term “lunar” meaning moon. Lunatic meant someone whose madness was driven by the moon. I think in the Zodiac’s warped perception of reality, there is a connection to the moon and the lunar cycle. I think he was cold and calculated in all the crimes he committed. He knew what he was doing and that’s what makes him so horrifying.

Because of this new information, I would like to edit what I initially said about the killer in my profiling. I don’t think he ever stopped killing. He just didn’t feel the need to draw attention to himself anymore. They only reason he began contacting the police was for the thrill, and when that thrill went away, he allowed himself to disappear back into obscurity.

….. Stay Tuned (for Part 2)....

Sources and Further Reading:



http://www.dictionary.com/browse/lunatic


Next up is the documentary’s outing of of Ross Sullivan as being a new Zodiac Killer suspect. Again, I’m not saying he did it. I’m just saying repeating some information that’s out there.

According to the documentary, he matched the physical description and looked like a picture of the killer. Sullivan also worked at a library and studied ciphers. He was suspected of murder in a completely separate case.

The murder that he was suspected in what that of Cheri Jo Bates. Back on October 30th of 1966 Bates was attacked just outside of the Riverside City College Library. And just like the Zodiac killings a few years later, the killer wrote a letter to the newspaper admitting to the killings.

He signed his name “Z”.

Sullivan was allegedly a student at Riverside City College at the time of the murder, but does that mean he’s connected to Bates’ murder? Who can really say. To me, he looks like the sketch, but so do a lot of people (including Ted Cruz). I’ve done some research on Sullivan’s personal life and found a nice timeline that I’ll link below, but not much else. Everything says that he died back in 1977. At one point, his brother referred to him publicly as a “schizophrenic” and I don’t know if that’s a fit for the Zodiac. I’m not a mental health professional, but from what I understand of schizophrenia, people fall into fits of delusion and madness. Hollywood has portrayed people with schizophrenia as crazed killers, but in reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. I see it as being too difficult for a person with schizophrenia to be as focused as the Zodiac Killer. People with schizophrenia might believe some odd delusions, but from what I understand it is usually too difficult for them to follow through with these delusions in a big way. A person with schizophrenia might think their neighbor is tapping their phones, so they might be paranoid. What they wouldn’t do is fashion themselves into a killer that has to kill people on certain day of the week using an archaic calendar and a creating impossible cyphers. Sullivan could have been the killer. It was strange that he had ties to both cases, but, again, many people were tied to the Zodiac case.

I will say that I do think Cheri Jo Bates’ Killer was the Zodiac. There are too many coincidences there, mostly when considering the letters that were written. The only thing that gives me pause, is that October 30th, 1966 was not a Dali day on the lunar calendar.

….. Stay Tuned (for Part 3)....

Sources and Further Readings:



http://zodiackillerciphers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Ross_Sullivan


Zodiac Killer Documentary: Part 3
Donna Lass was a woman who went missing back on September 6th, 1970. She had

Lawrence Kane: He worked with a woman named Donna Lass. She went missing on September 6th, 1970.

According to the Zodiac 13 month calendar, the first day of each week is called “Dali day” The symbol for that day is the symbol the Zodiac Killer used. (A circle with a cross through it.) All of the Zodiac victims were attacked on a Dali day…. and so was Donna Lass.

Larry Law was also a suspect in the Donna Lass case. She had lived with him and his wife just before she disappeared. Law also knew Kane. Law traveled south from Lake Tahoe to San Francisco once to twice a month to visit his mother.

Sources and Further Readings:


Wednesday, August 19, 2020

The Missing Ruby Slippers

Many of us here in the states have seen the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. The love for The Wizard of Oz is especially true in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, which just happens to be the birth place of Judy Garland.

Back in 2005, a pair of Judy Garland's beloved ruby slippers were stolen. And what happened to them? No one really knows. People have searched for years. Some say the slippers were sold on the black market. Other's say that they are at the bottom of a lake. Who knows? Maybe the thief took them to Oz.

What I do know, is that who ever solves this case, will receive $1 million in reward money. So please, if you have any information on the slippers, contact your local law enforcement. Together we can bring these slippers home.

....Stay Tuned....



Sources and Further Reading:
http://www.startribune.com/what-a-world-what-a-world-stolen-ruby-slippers-still-missing-from-minnesota-s-judy-garland-museum/397525721/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/07/12/the-mystery-of-dorothys-missing-ruby-slippers-solve-it-and-youll-get-1-million/?utm_term=.a4c938eb79dc

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_slippers

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Baby Angel of Winona

For most, bringing a child into the world is the greatest joy in life. But not for the parents of Baby Angel.

On September 5th, 2011, the body of an infant baby girl was found in the Mississippi River just outside of Winona, Minnesota. The baby was found with four angel statues, which led to her being called "Baby Angel." The new born was also found wrapped in an old t-shirt and placed in a bag embroidered with the word "Manzanillo." Finally, the Baby Angel was also found with a piece of jewelry containing a evil eye charm.

According to law enforcement, many attempts have been made over the years to identify the baby, but all results have led no where.

Possible Meanings Behind Objects:
In the research I have done, I found that the one of the angles was inscribed with the latin phrase, "2000 Anno Domini." (Aka "the year 2000 A.D.") Because of the latin phrase, I have concluded that the four angels are meant to represent the four archangels in Catholicism. This also ties with the evil eye charm, which is sometimes used as a means of protection by some Catholics.

The race of the baby angel is unknown, although DNA testing has been done. The significance of the t-shirt and bag are also unknown. Although, the bag is believed to be from the Mexican city of Manzanillo.

Possible Connecting Cases:

It is possible that this case could be connected with the three infants found on the Mississippi River in Goodhue County, Minnesota. In that case, the first infant, of white race, was found in 1999 wrapped in a blanket. The second baby, of white race, was found four years later in 2003 and was wrapped in a blanket. The third baby, intensified as being Native American, was found in 2007. Finally, Baby Angel was found in 2011. DNA testing shows that the first and second babies are biologically related.

If you do the math, a baby was found, deceased, once every four years. Thankfully, no body was found in 2015, four years after Baby Angel. The officers in Goodhue County and Winona County have worked together and doubt that the Baby Angel case is related to the Goohue County cases. However, I believe it is still a possibility.


I must also address the case of Debbie Wolfe, a North Carolina woman who was found dead in a pond in 1985. I doubt that her case and Baby Angel's case are related, however they were both found with an evil eye charm. According to my research, Debbie's family believes that their loved one was murdered, but the local police department disagrees.


If you have any information about the Baby Angel case, please contact Ron Ganrude at the Winona County Sheriff's office or Crime Stoppers at 507.457.6530.

....Stay Tuned....

Monday, August 10, 2020

Disappearance of Susan Ledyard

The Victim: 
Susan Ledyard of Wilmington, Delaware was a joyful and enthusiastic spirit that cared for both animals and children. She had been a teacher at the local high school. She was on summer break back in July of 2019 when she went missing. 

The Death:
On July 23, 2019, Susan sent her last text at 2:54 am to her friend or one of her sisters. From what I have been able to dig up in my research, the texts had been friendly and carried a happy tone to them. At 3:02 am, Susan's car was seen leaving her house.
    The next morning Susan's car was found at the Brandywine River and and at 7:30 am her body was found 3 miles down stream from her car. Sounds like a tragic case of suicide, right?
    Detectives said due to the shallowness of the water, she had not gone in the water near where her car was found (meaning the water was not deep enough for a body to have floated the three miles down river to where she was found). Her death was ruled a murder due to blunt force trauma to the head.

The Questions:
  • Susan's husband stated that he last saw his wife sitting on their front porch before going to bed. If someone else had entered their home and taken Susan, why did he not hear anything? Why hasn't he been more involved in finding her killer? Why has everything I have seen online been from Susan's sister?
  • If Susan had taken her own life, why didn't she leave a note? Why didn't she walk the mile to the river? How did her body float down the river that quickly?
  • How do the  police know exactly what time her car left her house? How do they know for sure this wasn't a suicide? What aren't they telling us?
For more on this case...

...Stay Tuned...

https://www.delcotimes.com/news/what-happened-to-susan-morrissey-ledyard-mystery-of-death-of-academy-park-teacher-continues/article_64a39f5a-ceb6-11ea-9a82-a7e137eb1e83.html?utm_content=fb-delcotimes&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR1Hm5kyLyfIUA1YR7jMKJoKdpf4xg09i1HJ8c5xZ6HLgvqt8ODx2QyT53M





Sunday, August 9, 2020

The Suspicious Sleuth and the Murder of John Zera

I like to think of myself as an armature detective. The wonderful followers of this blog know how much I love a good mystery. I like analyzing the possibilities of a situation. Daniel Acker claims to be a person just like me. He says he loves solving crimes and mysteries.

Perhaps he does like mysteries. Perhaps he is also interested in hauntings and the supernatural. Perhaps he didn't kill little Johnny Zera. Maybe he was just curious. Maybe that's why he contacted Johnny's family... Maybe that's why he created a mini version of their police department and littered his minature town with mini flyers of missing and murdered children... Maybe the diary in which he confessed to multiple murders was a prank...

John Zera went missing on February 20th, 1976 near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His body was found days later beaten to death. Daniel Acker was a swim coach at John’s high school and after the boy’s death, Acker became close with the Zera family.

In later years, in 2009 a man contacted the school where Daniel Acker worked, stating that Acker molested him when he was in middle school. The school contacted the police, and the police decided to search Acker’s property. Everything was fine until they look in the one place most Hollywood villains keep their secrets; the basement.

In Acker’s basement, police found toy police cars and a replica of the police station. You’re probably thinking, “Ok, yeah. That’s a little weird for a grown man to have, but not that bad. I mean it’s not like he had miniature pictures of missing boys posted on the wall of the mini police station…” No you’re right, most of the children on the walls of the replica police station were murdered, not missing. The last two children listed were John Zera and Carl Galbraith, a young boy who was murdered near Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1977. Then to top it off, the police found a diary, written by Acker in which he confesses to killing John Zera.

Acker was arrested in 2009 for sexual assault of another young boy. Although Acker denied ever knowing John Zera, while in custody confessed to assisting around 20 young boys over the years. The police do not think that he killed Zera. It is possible that Zera could have been killed by Michael Uporsky, a teacher at Zera’s school, or James Lee Crummel, a child serial rapist and murderer from California. There is even the theory that John Wayne Gacy, the infamous killer clown of Chicago, killed Zera and Carl Galbraith.

In 2016, DNA from Zera’s case was tested. However, the test results were inconclusive. From what I understand the investigation into Daniel Acker has stopped...

For updates on this case
…Stay Tuned…

Sources and Further Readings:

Unsolved Podcast (Season 1)



“5 Unsolved Mysteries with Strange Written Clues Part 2” video by Criminally Listed, YouTube




Saturday, August 8, 2020

Alias Grace: The Facts

If you've been bingeing content on Netflix I have been, you might have come across a miniseries title "Alias Grace." This miniseries is based on Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name. Atwood's novel, A Handmaid's Tale, has been a fairly recent hit on Hulu. Sadly, I have not been able to watch A Handmaid's Tale because let's be real... it's too real; also who pays for Hulu Plus? However, I did read the book a few years ago and loved it. It's a great science fiction novel and a fairly quick read. 

Alias Grace on the other hand, is a bit of a different story. Like the murder case itself, Alias Grace is anything but straightforward. Don't get me wrong, it's a great read and I loved every minute of it. It's just taking me awhile to get through due to the "thinkyness" of the prose.

Anyway, you're not here for a review. You're here for the murder.

On July 28th, 1843, Grace Marks and her lover, James McDermott, murdered their employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his lover/housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. Or at least that's what everyone thinks happened.

The Facts:
-Nancy, Grace, and James were all employed by Thomas Kinnear
-Thomas died to multiple gunshot wounds
-Nancy was beaten with an axe, strangled, and finally dismembered in a bathtub
-James and Grace ran off to Toronto, where they were apprehended on their way to New York.
-The two were arrested and began to incriminate each other.
-Both were sentenced to death by hanging on November 3rd, 1843.
-James was put to death on November 21st, 1843, while Grace's sentence was commented.
-Grace was sent to an asylum, where she was deemed a "lunatic" by the state.
-Finally, Grace spent the rest of her days in prison.

I struggle with condemning Grace Marks and James McDermott. I do not see any direct evidence in either of them committing the murders. During the trial, they accused each other of having committed the murders, but I have no idea under what state their confessions were taken.

In my opinion, the killer clearly had hatred towards Nancy Montgomery. There was such overkill in her case that the killer must have had some sort of motive to want her dead. During the trial, it was stated that Grace was jealous of Nancy and her relationship with Thomas. I could see this as a motive, but there is no direct evidence showing that Grace wanted an intimate relationship with her employer. If Grace felt so snubbed by Thomas, why didn't she find a new position elsewhere?

I don't see James committing the murders either. He told police that Grace made him do it and it is not unheard of for a woman having one lover kill another. Still something about this case doesn't quite sit right with me. I suppose I will just have to keep an eye on this case.


...Stay Tuned...



Sources and Further Reading:

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood**** READ IT, SOOOO GOOD, (but will take you a  month to get through)

https://archive.org/details/cihm_67883

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Marks

http://murderpedia.org/female.M/m/marks-grace.htm

http://www.thewhig.com/2012/07/03/murderess-or-pawn

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/12/books/did-she-or-didn-t-she-a-tale-of-two-murders.html






****I will not be writing a formal review for Alias Grace, but I do highly suggest reading it!