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On December 15, 1997, ten-day-old Delimar Vera died in a tragic housefire when the Philadelphia home of Luz Cuevas and Pedro Vera caught fire unexpectedly. After a brief investigation, the fire department identified a faulty heater as the cause of the fire and deemed the baby’s death an accident and claimed that the girl’s remains had been completely destroyed in the blaze. Luz Cuevas was skeptical of their explanation and struggled to accept her daughter’s death.
Six years after the fire, Luz was at a party where she ran into Pedro’s cousin, whom she hadn’t seen in several years. The woman, Carolyn Correa, had with her a little girl named Aaliyah, whom she claimed was her daughter, though Luz didn’t remember her having children or being pregnant six years earlier. Even more suspicious was that six-year-old Aaliyah bore a striking resemblance to Luz herself and she couldn’t shake the feeling that Aaliyah was in fact her own supposedly dead daughter, Delimar.
Had Luz Cuevas been right all along? Had Delimar somehow managed to survive the fire? And if so, why was she now in the custody of a strange woman she hadn’t seen in six years?
Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!
References
Benson, Clea, and Rusty Pray. 1997. "10-day-old baby dies in N. Phila. fire." Philadelphia Inquirer, December 16: 38.
CBS News. 2004. New twist in baby ID case. March 9. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-twist-in-baby-id-case/.
CNN. 2004. Mom finds kidnapped daughter six years later. March 2. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Northeast/03/01/girl.found.alive/.
Cuevas v. City of Philadelphia. 2006. 05-3749 (United States District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania, August 11).
Egan, Nicole Weisensee. 2005. "Her side of the story." Philadelphia Daily News, October 13: 3.
Frisby, Mann. 1997. "Heater blamed in fire that clais infant." Philadelphia Daily News, December 16: 10.
George, Jason. 2004. "Girl found and woman held after a ruse lasting years." New York Times, March 3: A13.
Gregory, Sean. 2004. Back from the blaze. March 15. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://time.com/archive/6737931/back-from-the-blaze/.
Pompilio, Natalie. 2004. "Kidnapped girl returned to birth mother." Philadelphia Inquirer, March 8.
Pompilio, Natalie, and Joel Bewley. 2004. "Case of child once believed dead is far from over." Philadelphia Inquirer, March 6.
Pompilio, Natalie, and Thomas Gibbons. 2004. "Woman suspected of kidnapping girl 6 years ago turns." Philadelphia Inquirer, March 2.
Soteropoulos, Jacqueline. 2005. "Abductor of infant gets 9 to 30 years." Philadelphia Inquirer, September 24: 1.
Tampa Bay Times. 2004. Daughter lost in fire returns, but questions swirl in family. March 7. Accessed June 27, 2024. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2004/03/07/daughter-lost-in-fire-returns-but-questions-swirl-in-family/.
The Record. 2004. DNA testing helps mom find only daughter. March 2. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/2004/03/03/dna-testing-helps-mom-find/50702564007/.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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On July 6, 1944, an estimated 7,000 people, mostly women and children, gathered at the Barbour Street fairgrounds in Hartford, Connecticut to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus. Inside the big top tent, the lion show had just ended, and the Flying Wallendas were getting ready to begin their performance when the tent caught fire, sending the large audience into a panic as the spectators and performers rushed to get to safety. The tent, which had been coated in paraffin wax, was quickly engulfed in flames and by the time the fire was put out, 139 people were dead and hundreds were badly injured. In the weeks that followed, another twenty-eight would die from their injuries. At the time, the Hartford circus fire was one of the worst fires in American history, and it remains one of the biggest tragedies in the state’s history.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!
References
Cavanaugh, Jack. 1994. "The Hartford fire, 50 years later." New York Times, July 3: CN1.
Daily Boston Globe. 1945. "7 Ringling officials held responsible by coroner for Hartford circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, January 12: 12.
—. 1950. "Circus holocaust, 4 N.E. murders laid to N.H. man." Daily Boston Globe, Juky 1: 1.
—. 1950. "Psychiatrist to examine youth who thinks he set Hartford circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, May 21: C29.
Davis, John. 1944. "Circus Fire is described by witness." Hartford Courant, July 7: 3.
Ensworth, Bob. 1944. "Quick-witted show folks saved many, soldier declares." Daily Boston Globe, July 7: 1.
Glaberson, William. 1991. "Our towns." New York Times, August 2: B2.
Hartford Courant. 1944. "113 children, mothers not yet located." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.
—. 1944. "'Flying Wallendas' on high wire when flames swept through tent." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.
—. 1944. "Negligence facts found says Alcorn." Hartford Courant, July 8: 1.
—. 1944. "Panic and blaze trap hundreds." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.
—. 1944. "Thousands attracted by circus here." Hartford Courant, July 6: 1.
—. 1944. "Tossed cigarette blamed for fire by ushers, police." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.
Kelley, Robert. 1945. "The strange case of Little Miss No. 1565 still baffles police." Daily Boston Globe, July 16: 1.
Linscott, Seymour. 1944. "136 die in circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, July 7: 1.
Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. 1950. "Quiz firebug suspect in '44 circus tragedy." Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, May 19: 1.
Morning Edition. 2007. Remembering the Horror and Heroes of a Circus Fire. July 6. Accessed July 2, 2024. https://www.npr.org/2007/07/06/11768511/remembering-the-horror-and-heroes-of-a-circus-fire.
New York Times. 1950. "Arson killer sane, psychiatrists find." New York Times, November 2: 47.
—. 1950. "Arsonist imprisoned; admitted 172 deaths." New York Times, November 4: 34.
—. 1944. "Children caught in frenzied mass." New York Times, July 7: 11.
—. 1950. "Some doubts raised in arson confession." New York Times, July 2: 27.
Ross, Leonora. 1944. "Hartford tragedy leaves cricus artisits staggered." Daily Boston Globe, July 8: 2.
Skidgell, Michael. 2019. The Hartford Circus Fire. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing.
Smith, John Henry. 2024. 80 years ago, a gas-soaked roof and WWII created a perfect storm for the Hartford circus tragedy . July 1. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2024-07-01/80-years-ago-a-gas-soaked-roof-and-wwii-created-a-perfect-storm-for-the-hartford-circus-tragedy.
Tuohy, Lynne. 2004. "Back to the circus." Hartford Courant, May 16: 69.
United Press. 1942. "Scores of animals killed in $125,000 circus fire." Brooklyn Citizen, August 4: 1.
Wallenfeldt, Jeff. 2024. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. May 31. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ringling-Bros-and-Barnum-and-Bailey-Combined-Shows/Ringling-Bros-and-Barnum-Bailey-Combined-Shows.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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On the morning of October 31, 1933, a gunman burst through the door of Bessie Darling’s home in Foxville, Maryland and shot the woman to death. Police quickly arrested George Schultz, Darling’s boyfriend and business partner, who’d unsuccessfully attempted suicide after shooting Bessie. George confessed to the murder, claiming his actions were motivated by jealousy and a fear that Bessie was seeing other men, and he was sentenced to eighteen years in prison.
In many ways, the story of Bessie Darling’s murder is a straightforward and unfortunately common story of domestic violence. Yet beneath the basic facts of the case is another story of rural development and economic inequality at a time when many in the nation were facing serious economic struggles. These aspects of the story, mostly ignored by the press, shaped how Bessie was portrayed by the media and how people have told and retold her story since her death.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!
References
Associated Press. 1933. "Autopsy is held in Darling case." Baltimore Sun, November 1: 5.
—. 1934. "Mrs. Darling's slayer guilty; given 18 years." Baltimore Sun, March 13: 20.
—. 1940. "Gov. O'Conor invokes new parole plan." Cumberland Evening Times, May 29: 2.
Baltimore Evening Sun. 1934. "2 say Schultz was drinking on day of murder." Baltimore Evening Sun, March 12: 30.
—. 1916. "Ax for Kelly man." Baltimore Evening Sun, August 9: 12.
—. 1933. "Maid says man shot woman and himself." Baltimore Evening Sun, October 31: 1.
Baltimore Sun. 1933. "Alleged slayer admits jealousy." Baltimore Sun, November 2: 5.
Bedell, John, Gregory Katz, Jason Shellenhamer, Lisa Kraus, and Sarah Groesbeck. 2011. The People of the Mountain: Archeological Overview, Assessment, Identification, and Evaluation Study of Catoctin Mountain Park Maryland. Historical survey, Washington, DC: National Park Service.
Clay, K.C. 2018. Bessie Darling: A Brief Report on the Life of a Catoctin Mountain Proprietress. Historiography , Catoctin Mountain Park, MD: National Park Service.
Hagerstown Daily Mail. 1933. "Schultz has good chance of recovery." Hagerstown Daily Mail, November 2: 3.
—. 1933. "Schultz says shooting was self-defense." Hagerstown Daily Mail, December 4: 1.
National Park History. 2003. A New Deal for the Mountain. November 21. Accessed June 6, 2024. http://npshistory.com/publications/cato/hrs/chap5.htm.
—. 2003. Chapter Four: The Eve of Acquisition . November 21. Accessed June 5, 2024. http://npshistory.com/publications/cato/hrs/chap4.htm.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Weirdos! It's Listener Tales, and you know what THAT means! it's brought to you BY you, For you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you! Today, it's Ash's pick and we've got a batch of tales about signs! We have deceased matchmakers, a traumatic birthday, a story about gut feelings, Ghosts that use MORBID to haunt their loved ones, and a grandmother who sends signs for her granddaughter to stop smoking the devils lettuce.
If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line :)
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
When Peter Smart failed to show up for work on the morning of January 6, 1958, officers in Lanarkshire, Scotland were dispatched to Smart’s home to conduct a well-being check. When no one came to the door, the officers forced their way inside, where they found Smart, his wife, and their eleven-year-old son all dead from gunshot wounds to the head. A week later, Peter Manuel was arrested and charged with the murders of the Smart family, but in time the police in Lanarkshire would learn that was only one of Manuel’s horrific crimes.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!
References
Birmingham Post and Gazette. 1958. "3 shot dead: no gun found." Birmingham Post and Gazette, January 7: 1.
Coventry Evening Telegraph. 1956. "Three dead in bungalow beds." Coventry Evening Telegraph, September 17: 1.
Daily Record. 1956. "Fifth tee murder." Daily Record, January 5: 1.
—. 1956. "Fifth tee murder: dramatic appeal." Daily Record, January 6: 1.
—. 1957. "Teenager vanishes." Daily Record, December 30: 1.
—. 1958. "Two sensations as trial opens." Daily Record, May 13: 7.
Daily Telegraph. 1958. "1958." Daily Telegraph, May 15: 15.
Evening Sentinel. 1956. "Bloodstains found on bed sheets." Evening Sentinel, September 17: 1.
—. 1957. "Tjhick snow hampers moors hunt." Evening Sentinel, December 11: 1.
Hull Daily Mail. 1957. "Police seek fresh clues in murder mystery." Hull Daily Mail, December 10: 5.
Lundy, Iain. 2007. "Psychopath who brought terror to the west." Evening Times, December 27.
MacLeod, Hector. 2009. Peter Manuel, Serial Killer. Edinburgh, Scotland: Mainstream Books.
Nottingham Evening News. 1956. "Bungalow riddle: two women and girl dead in bed." Nottingham Evening News, September 17: 4.
Silvester, Norman. 2022. The story of Scotland's first known serial killer Peter Manuel. October 10. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/23034356.story-scotlands-first-known-serial-killer-peter-manuel/.
The Times. 1958. "Statement on 8 murders." The Times, May 22: 5.
Western Mail. 1958. "Watt denies shooting his wife." Western Mail, May 16: 5.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
With a violent criminal history going back to his early teen years, Peter Manuel turned out to be one of Scotland’s worst serial killers. His tumultuous early teenage years were peppered with break-ins and destruction of property, but quickly escalated to horrific acts of brutality.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!
References
Birmingham Post and Gazette. 1958. "3 shot dead: no gun found." Birmingham Post and Gazette, January 7: 1.
Coventry Evening Telegraph. 1956. "Three dead in bungalow beds." Coventry Evening Telegraph, September 17: 1.
Daily Record. 1956. "Fifth tee murder." Daily Record, January 5: 1.
—. 1956. "Fifth tee murder: dramatic appeal." Daily Record, January 6: 1.
—. 1957. "Teenager vanishes." Daily Record, December 30: 1.
—. 1958. "Two sensations as trial opens." Daily Record, May 13: 7.
Daily Telegraph. 1958. "1958." Daily Telegraph, May 15: 15.
Evening Sentinel. 1956. "Bloodstains found on bed sheets." Evening Sentinel, September 17: 1.
—. 1957. "Tjhick snow hampers moors hunt." Evening Sentinel, December 11: 1.
Hull Daily Mail. 1957. "Police seek fresh clues in murder mystery." Hull Daily Mail, December 10: 5.
Lundy, Iain. 2007. "Psychopath who brought terror to the west." Evening Times, December 27.
MacLeod, Hector. 2009. Peter Manuel, Serial Killer. Edinburgh, Scotland: Mainstream Books.
Nottingham Evening News. 1956. "Bungalow riddle: two women and girl dead in bed." Nottingham Evening News, September 17: 4.
Silvester, Norman. 2022. The story of Scotland's first known serial killer Peter Manuel. October 10. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/23034356.story-scotlands-first-known-serial-killer-peter-manuel/.
The Times. 1958. "Statement on 8 murders." The Times, May 22: 5.
Western Mail. 1958. "Watt denies shooting his wife." Western Mail, May 16: 5.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In early March 1879, fifty-five-year-old widow Julia Martha Thomas disappeared from her home in southwest London. Julia often travelled by herself on moment’s notice, so neighbors thought nothing of her absence; however, when several female body parts were discovered in the Thames, police uncovered a gruesome crime that not only involved theft and impersonation, but also the ghastly murder of Julia Martha Thomas.
Thomas’s maid, Kate Webster, was quickly arrested and charged with Julia’s murder. Through their investigation, detectives discovered that Thomas had recently given Webster notice of termination after only one month. Days before she was to leave Thomas’ home, Webster murdered her employer, then dismembered her body and posed as Julia in order to sell off the murdered woman’s belongings for a quick profit. Although she maintained her innocence, Kate Webster was tried, convicted, and executed for the crime, finally confessing her guilt just hours before she went to the gallows.
The ”Richmond Murder,” as it was dubbed by the press, captivated Londoners for months and Webster’s trial and execution became something of a public spectacle. In Victorian-era England, few people believed a woman capable of committing murder, much less dismemberment and rendering of a human body. Given that, and the shocking viciousness of the crime itself, the Richmond Murder remains one of London’s most notorious murders of the late nineteenth century.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!
References
Birmingham Evening Mail. 1879. "Solution of the Barnes mystery." Birmingham Evenign Mail, March 26: 3.
Blake, Matt. 2011. Attenborough skull mystery finally solved. July 6. Accessed June 23, 2024. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/attenborough-skull-mystery-finally-solved-2307530.html.
Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper. 1879. "The Barnes mystery." Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, March 16: 5.
O'Donnell, Elliot. 2010. The Trial of Kate Webster. New York, NY: Gale, Making of Modern Law.
Portsmouth Evening News. 1879. "The Richmond murder." Portsmouth Evening News, July 9: 3.
Shaver Hughes, Sarah, and Brady Hughes. 1997. Women in World History: Readings fom 1500 to the Present. London, UK: Routledge.
The Citizen. 1879. "The Barnes Mystery." The Citizen, March 13: 3.
The Journal. 1879. "The Barnes mystery." The Journal, March 14: 3.
The Times. 1879. "TRhe murder and mutilation at Richmond." Reynold's Newspaper, April 6: 6.
—. 1879. "The murder at Richmond." The Times, April 1: 5.
—. 1879. "The supposed tragedy at Richmond." The Times, April 3: 2.
Wood, Walter. 1916. Survivors' Tales of Famous Crimes. London, UK: Cassell.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On the morning of October 25, 1943, the body of twenty-two-year-old Lion Brewery heiress, Patricia Lonergan, was discovered in a locked room in the New York apartment she shared with her infant son. Patrica was nude and had been bludgeoned with a candelabra. Suspicion quickly fell on her estranged husband, Wayne Lonergan, who had fled the country to Canada, where he was serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Wayne Lonergan was apprehended a few days later and returned to New York, where he was charged with the murder and two days later confessed to killing Patricia in a jealous rage. Despite his confession, Lonergan’s case went to trial and quickly became one of the most sensational trials of the decade. While the murder itself was a terrible tragedy, the extensive press coverage and intense public interest was on Wayne’s sexual identity and the supposedly scandalous lives of the two high society figures at the center of the case.
Wayne was ultimately found guilty of the murder and served more than two decades in prison, after which he was deported back to Canada, where he resided until his death. Few people ever doubted that Wayne had indeed killed his wife; however, to this day many have questioned whether his sexuality and the couple’s nontraditional marriage biased the jury against him and led to an unfair trial.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White (of Bring Me the Axe and 99 Cent Rental Podcasts) for research!
References
Anderson-Minshall, Diane. 2021. Did this queer man kill his wife? March 24. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://www.advocate.com/crime/2021/3/24/did-queer-man-kill-his-wife#rebelltitem1.
Buffalo News. 1943. "Boats grapple for vanished RCAF uniform." Buffalo News, October 28: 1.
Dunne, Dominick. 2001. "The Talented Mr. Lonergan." Vanity Fair, July 01.
Levine, Allan. 2020. Details Are Unprintable: Wayne Lonergan and the Sensational Cafe Society Murder. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press.
New York Times. 1944. "35 years to life given to Lonergan." New York Times, April 18: 1.
—. 1942. "Husband is held for questioning in heiress' murder." New York Times, October 26: 1.
—. 1944. "Lawyers rebuked in Lonergan case." New York Times, February 17: 20.
—. 1944. "Lonergan choked wife, Grumet says." New York Times, March 23: 21.
—. 1944. "Lonergan confession read; tells of bluedgeoning wife." New York Times, March 28: 1.
—. 1944. "Lonergan defense is ended abruptly." New York Times, March 30: 1.
—. 1944. "Lonergan guilty in second degree of slaying wife." New York Times, April 1: 1.
—. 1943. "RCAF cadet's wife slain in home here." New York Times, October 25: 1.
—. 1944. "State asks death in Lonergan case." New York Times, March 31: 1.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On the morning of August 1, 1966, twenty-five-year-old Charles Whitman arrived at the University of Texas Austin campus a little before noon, carrying with him several rifles, pistols, and a shotgun contained within a military footlocker. After talking his way past a guard, Whitman climbed to the twenty eighth floor of the campus clocktower and walked out onto the observation deck, then began firing at the people on the ground below. In the span of a just over an hour and half, Charles Whitman killed fifteen people and wounded thirty-one others before finally being shot and killed by a police officer who’d managed to make his way to the top of the tower. Investigators later learned that, prior to arriving on the UT campus, Whitman had also murdered his mother and his wife.
In 1966, mass shootings were virtually unheard of in the United States and Whitman’s spree killing shocked the nation. By most accounts, Charles Whitman was the picture of an all-American man, which made his actions all the more confusing. He was well-liked, had a successful military career, a beautiful wife, and once out of the military, he began pursuing a college degree in preparation for the next phase of his life. But behind the façade of American middle-class success lurked a deeply troubled man whose personal history and acute medical problems would eventually go a long way to explaining his actions on the morning of August 1.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!
References
Austin American-Statesman. 1966. "U.T. sniper shoots 33." Austin American-Statesman, August 1: 1.
Colloff, Pamela. 2006. "96 minutes." Texas Monthly, August 1: 104.
—. 2016. "Memorial day." Texas Monthly, August 1: 22.
Flemmons, Jerry. 1966. "UT tower sniper kills 14, dies in hail of police gunfire." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 2: 1.
Governor's Committee. 1966. Report to the Governor; Medical Aspects, Charles J. Whitman Catastrophe. Fact-finding report, Houston, TX: Texas Department of Public Safety.
Krebs, Albin. 1966. "The Texas killer: Former Florida neighbors recall a nice boy who liked toy guns." New York Times, August 2: 15.
Lavergne, Gary. 1997. Sniper in the Tower: The Charles Whitman Murders. Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press.
New York Times. 1967. "U. of Texas to reopen ." New York Times, June 18: 25.
Stuever, Hank. 1996. "96 minutes, 30 years later." Austin American-Statesman, July 29: 1.
Texas Department of Public Safety. 1966. Statement of John and Fran Morgan. Intelligence Report, Houston, TX: State of Texas Department of Public Safety.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On Thanksgiving Day 1934, police in Tulsa, Oklahoma found the dead body of John Gorrell Jr., a Kansas City dental student, slumped behind the wheel of his car, which had come to a stop at a downtown intersection. Gorrell had been shot in the head twice with his own gun and his wallet and other valuables were missing, leading police to conclude he had been killed in a botched robbery. Just one day later, the residents of Tulsa were shocked to learn that Gorrell hadn’t been killed by a robbery, but by his friend Phil Kennamer, and his motive wasn’t robbery.
At the peak of the Great Depression, newspaper reports of violent crime were nothing new. In this case, however, the victim was the son of a prominent local physician and his killer the son of a well-known US District Court judge. The privileged backgrounds of the victim and killer were enough to captivate the residents of Tulsa, but as the strange details of the story slowly emerged in the days that followed, the case quickly grew from local sensation to national fascination. In the weeks and months that followed, countless front pages (and then some) were dedicated to the lurid details of what the press soon dubbed the “Society Gang Killing;” a story of disaffected youth who, bored with their wealth and privilege, turned to crime and violence for the sake of entertainment and excitement.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me The Axe Podcast for Research!
References
Biscup, Walter. 1935. "Verdict of jury leaves punishment of Gorrell's slayer to Judge Hurst." Tulsa World, February 22: 1.
Frates, Kent. 2014. "The Society Gang Killingg." This Land, July 15.
Freese, Jim. 2016. Murder in the Name Of Love: The Phil Kennamer Trial. Tulsa, OK: Freese Publishing .
Miami Daily News-Record. 1934. "Sheriff refuses to act on Phil Kennamer's version of case, involving associates." Miami Daily News-Record, December 13: 1.
—. 1934. "Doubt cast on gang theory in Tulsa slaying." Miami Daiy News-Record, December 3: 1.
Morrow, Jason. 2015. Deadly Hero: The High Society Murder that Created Hysteria in the Heartland. Tulsa, OK: Independent.
Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat. 1935. "Counsel declares he could not tell right from wrong." Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat, February 15: 1.
New York Times. 1934. "Death car driver a suicide in Tulsa." New York Times, December 10: 38.
—. 1935. "Girl takes stand to Aid Kennamer." New York Times, February 16: 30.
—. 1935. "Kennamer reveals 'extortion letter'." New York Times, January 27: 15.
—. 1935. "Kennamer tells of fatal shooting." New York Times, February 19: 10.
Phillips, Harmon. 1935. "Kennamer Case goes on aftwer threat of mistrial." Tulsa Tribune, February 13: 1.
—. 1935. "Phil Kennamer back to jail with 25 years in prison as penalty for Gorrell killing." Tulsa Tribune, February 24: 1.
—. 1935. "State blocks quick opinion by doctor that Kennamer shot youth while insane." Tulsa Tribune, February 16: 1.
Tulsa Tribune. 1934. "Anderson tells plan of Kennamer Trial." Tulsa Tribune, December 15: 1.
—. 1935. "New clues seen in notes from Phil Kennamer." Tulsa Tribune, January 3: 3.
—. 1934. "Phil Kennamer inisists slaying his own actions." Tulsa Tribune, December 2: 5.
—. 1934. "Police call Born suicide." Tulsa Tribune, December 10: 1.
—. 1935. "Opposing Kennamer case legal batteries promise fiery clash of courtroom tactics." Tulsa Trribune, January 23: 7.
Tulsa World. 1935. "Judge Kennamer weeps as he describes Phil's abnormalities." Tulsa World, February 16: 1.
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