December 4, 1896 McLeansboro, Illinois Benjamin Boehmer, alias Fred Behme, is hanged for the murder of his wife and child after his wife had their son baptized Boehmer and his wife Mary had been Roman Catholics before Boehmer converted to become a Methodist. The two separated briefly with Mary moving out of state to live… Continue reading Man executed for bludgeoning wife, hanging son after discovering son had been baptized
Category: Illinois
The death of “Baby Face” Nelson
November 26, 1934 Barrington, Illinois George “Baby Face” Nelson is fatally shot by federal agents Nelson, born Lester Joseph Gillis, was given the nickname “Baby Face” due to his youthful appearance, though it was a nickname few used to address Nelson directly. Instead, colleagues called him “Jimmy.” Nelson was a career criminal and had many… Continue reading The death of “Baby Face” Nelson
Wife killer hanged
November 9, 1921 Chicago, Illinois Frank Ligregni is hanged for the murder of his wife On December 21, 1920, Ligregni visited his wife Genevieve at the boarding school where she taught, after she invited him to spend the Christmas holiday with her. He attempted to persuade her to leave her job in Bartlett, Illinois and… Continue reading Wife killer hanged
Man with connections to Al Capone gunned down as he drives
November 8, 1939 Chicago, Illinois Lawyer and racetrack operator Edward J. “Easy Eddie” O’Hare is fatally shot by unidentified men while driving O’Hare’s assassination occurred a week before mob boss Al Capone was released from Alcatraz. The two were in business together, running dog- and horse-tracks, and O’Hare had represented Capone in court in the… Continue reading Man with connections to Al Capone gunned down as he drives
Man stabs woman after argument over candy
October 31, 2011 Chicago, Illinois Ledell Peoples stabs Maria Adams with “several steak knives” after an argument over missing Halloween candy The argument between Peoples (55) and Adams (49) began with accusations regarding a missing bag of Halloween candy, and escalated into violence. During the fight, Adams threw plates at Peoples in a form of… Continue reading Man stabs woman after argument over candy
