Published in the Chicago Daily Tribune
August 30, 1936
Chicago, Illinois
An elderly woman is beaten with a hammer and strangled with a wire for $8 in jewelry
Agnes Roffeis was attacked in her home with a hammer and a wire. She was hit so hard with the tack hammer that the handle broke. $8 (approx. $140 in today’s economy) worth of jewelry stolen from her during the attack.
Several witnesses came forward claiming 15-year-old former choir singer and “perfume-using schoolboy” Roland Munroe (sometimes misspelled as Monroe) was in Roffeis’ home. During trial, Munroe unsuccessfully attempted an insanity defense, claimed self-defense (he said Roffeis “made certain advances to him”), and stated his motive was robbery after Roffeis showed him a handful of costume jewelry. He was found guilty and sentenced to 199 years in penitentiary.
Other sources:
Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light (Corsicana, TX) October 30, 1936
The Times (Munster, IN) September 2, 1936
The Decatur Herald (Decatur, IL) October 21, 1936
The Chicago Sunday Tribune (Chicago, IL) October 25, 1936
Horrific history from today:
1989: FLW: Wrongfully executed? (2017)
2005: Infant dies after being put in microwave (2017)
2000: Man executed for murder of 3 during a robbery gone wrong (2018)
Horror-related anniversaries:
Today in Horror History: August 30
