Murder in the Mourning

A deceased girl embalmed, preserved, and hidden for years: a high priestess and her Godly daughter. Oh, and don't forget the puppies... Welcome, The Blackburn Cult!  Let’s Mourn… Sources: The Blackburn cult. (n.d.). http://www.laalmanac.com/religion/re720.php CBS Interactive. (n.d.). 4 arrested, bodies found in connection with disappearance of 2 women in Oklahoma . CBS News. https://www.cbsnew...

A large, tight-knit Delaware family received a delightful box of poisoned chocolates. Little did they know that by week’s end, their family would be much smaller…  Plus, an extra feature story about the perplexing crime scene of Mrs. Nora Kelly! Let’s Mourn… Sources: Morrow, J. (n.d.-a). Candy from a stranger: The cordelia botkin case of 1898 . historicalcrimedetective.com. https://www.historicalc...

What’s worse? Killing for money…or manipulating your children to kill for you?   A vintage murder went unsolved for years until a confession came from a child who was never supposed to remember.  Plus a bonus story involving the Six Mile Murder Inn!  Let’s Mourn… Sources: Feature stories - historicalcrimedetective.com. (n.d.). https://www.historicalcrimedetective.com/category/feature-stories/ #ger...

You’ve never heard about these murders, because the family chose to never speak of that night…until recently. Over half a century ago, a German farmer helplessly watched as all twelve members of his family were slaughtered in front of him. What he did in the wake of utter tragedy will shock you!  A special thank you to Lilli Heinemann, a descendant of those involved, for sharing the dark side of h...

To murder your uncle is cruel and hateful, but to leave no witnesses is vile.  The massacre of the Knight family has been slowly forgotten over the decades, but let’s not forget the kindness they exhibited that led to their deaths.  Plus, an update to The Dartmouth Murders! Let’s Mourn… Sources: Boehm, C. D., & Parker, J. H. (2021, January 27). The Dartmouth murders twenty years later . The Da...

The double homicide of an elderly couple in the Pacific Northwest rocked the residents of 19th-century Washington. However, this wasn’t the first time the murderer had struck. Welcome, Washington’s first serial killer. Let’s Mourn… CBS Interactive. (n.d.). California woman says her bloody bedroom was not a crime scene . CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jane-dorotik-bob-dorotik-california-mur...

The most powerful General in China’s history, who led the bloodiest rebellion, and forever changed their regional landscape–was born an outsider .  An Lushan, a legendarily large man, fled to China as a boy and rose through the ranks, becoming close friends with the emperor himself. But, all good things must come to an end.  Let’s Mourn… Carter, J. (2021, February 4). The end of China’s Golden Age...

Most often a father is their son's teacher, and a son is their father’s shadow. But what happens when the roles are reversed?  Can a child teach his father to kill?  Let’s Mourn… Sources: Blanco, J. I. (n.d.). Aleksandr Rubel: Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers . Aleksandr Rubel | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers. https://murderpedia.org/male. R/r/rubel-aleksandr.htm Janisch,...

Arsenic, the king of poisons, has been silently killing people for nearly 1,000 years.  When a man keels over and dies for seemingly no reason, one signature in the apothecary’s poison book stands out above the rest.   Let’s Mourn… Asma-Sadeque, S. (2024, March 16). Married man accused of killing girlfriend after fisherman discovers bag with toes sticking out . Peoplemag. https://people.com/marrie...

You don’t often see a cold case solved by the person who committed the crime. Yet that is exactly what happened back in 2001 in Fort Worth, Texas.  A woman nearly killed a man and instead of finding help, she provided him with a slow, agonizing death inside her garage.  Let’s Mourn… Blanco, J. I. (n.d.). Chante Mallard: Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers . Chante Mallard | Murderpedia, the...

The legend of Blackbeard has gripped people around the world for centuries. However, a lesser-known figure named Blue Beard has an equally troubled past.  Blue Beard is a fantastical figure from Fench folklore, but sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction! Let’s Mourn… Sources: Blanco, J. I. (n.d.). Henri Landru: Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers . Henri Landru | Murderpedia, the encyclo...

Some people are born to create music, some are born to lead, and some were born to fingerprint.  Frederick R. Cherrill, aka ‘Fingerprint Man’ , was a finger and palm print pioneer. His meticulous crime scene work and evidence organization are the basis for the same fingerprinting system we use today.  Without Cherrill, London’s Blackout Ripper may have never been caught. Let’s Mourn… Sources: The...

During the height of the Renaissance Era when evil and magic lurked around every dark corner, one man took advantage of those fears. Hidden among the dense, shadowed forest in the Jura Moutain Range of France, a hermit and his wife turned to the village children as their form of sustenance.  Plus a bonus story of a recent exoneration!! Let’s Mourn… Sources: Art for justice - home page . Art For Ju...

Would you take a bath in the blood of a child if it guaranteed you eternal life? No? Well, the Renaissance’s Blood Countess did such acts simply for pleasure. Plenty of tubs could’ve been filled from her rumored 650 victims over 35 years! Let’s Mourn… Sources: 2. torture and truth-telling . Hidden Florence. (2019, May 9). https://hiddenflorence.org/stories/ercole-crime-and-punishment/ercole2_tortu...

When you think of killer couples, does a mother-and-son duo come to mind?  One day a mother came home to see her son abusing a kidnapped girl chained to the radiator. Rather than stopping this heinous act, she becomes his accomplice–luring future victims back home for his son’s entertainment. Let’s Mourn… Blanco, J. I. (n.d.). Alexander Spesivtsev: Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers. Alexa...

CALLING ALL EXECUTIONERS!!!  From the Master Executioner of Prague to the Woman from Hell, humans have been legally killing other humans for nearly 4,000 years. Come explore the bizarre methods and gruesome history of capital punishment in England!  Let’s Mourn… Sources: Brigden, A. written by: J. (n.d.). Hang ’em high: 7 of history’s most famous executioners . Sky HISTORY TV channel. https://www....

In 1915 London, three separate women drowned in their bathtubs days after they were married. All three women were found by their husbands, and each one had recently been to the doctor. Coroners and doctors simply accepted the fact they had drowned.  However, the newspaper sleuths of the era urged police to investigate. The chances of this happening three times in one year are immeasurable! Let’s M...

In London in 1811, two families were brutally murdered within two weeks. Just before Christmas, seven people were slain only blocks from each other in the district of Wapping. The Marr and Williamson families were attacked in the early morning hours as they unknowingly slept.  As one of the most gruesome and bloody attacks in Britain’s history, investigators were determined to punish someone... an...

The Victorian Era is notorious for its fascination with death. The Queen herself mourned the loss of her husband for nearly four decades. No one was safe from the Reaper.  Lord William Russell survived decades as a politician throughout a bloody era, avoiding trouble as it arose. However, no amount of preparation nor caution could have prevented his gruesome murder.   Let’s Mourn. Sources: Encyclo...

The Kent family found themselves at the center of the most notorious murder case of the Victorian Era. Their youngest child, Francis, had been abducted from his nursey while he slept. The whole of England was stunned when detectives released their suspect list–the entire family. Let’s Mourn. Blanco, J. I. (n.d.). Constance Kent: Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers . Constance Kent | Murderp...

Does death frighten you? Or maybe it’s how you’ll die that conjures fear? But what if you couldn’t be killed…? Michael Malloy, aka the Bronx Rasputin, survived numerous assassination attempts! He was fed shrapnel, poisoned fish, denatured alcohol, endured being run over by a car, and much more!  Oh, and he was drunk the entire time!  Let’s Mourn. Karen, A. (2012, February 7). The man who wouldn’t...

When a young girl disappeared the morning before Valentine's Day, 1917, police shrugged their shoulders. Provided with clear and definitive leads, they did nothing. Frustrated, her father enlisted the help of the "Female Sherlock Holmes." Grace Humiston attacked this case head-on, soon putting the NYPD to shame when she solved it right under their noses.  Plus a bonus story! Let’s Mo...

When a young girl died from typhoid in 1910, most people chalked it up to her lifestyle and moved on. Not Alice Clement. The first female detective of Chicago perceived what others didn't–A murder. Let's Mourn. Sources: Alice Clement: The detective wore pearls . Chicago Magazine. (n.d.). https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/december-2003/the-detective-wore-pearls/ Dunn, L. T. (n.d.)...

In January of 1965 near Sydney, Australia, the bodies of two 15-year-old girls were found partially buried in the dunes of Wanda Beach. They had been slashed, stabbed, and left to die by a monster. The cruelty of this crime led to the largest investigation in Australia's history. Popular suspects have surfaced over the years including the infamous Beauty Queen Killer, and more recently an alle...

What happens when a suspected murderer flies halfway across the world to Thailand? Why you hire the real-life Sherlock Holmes of course! Jay J. Armes is one of the most successful and unconventional private investigators ever to crack a case. When Lynda Singshinsuk was killed in her dorm room, nothing stopped this man from bringing her killer to justice. Let's Mourn. Sources: A college romance...