May 17, 1968 Near Georgetown, Kentucky The decomposing body of a woman, later dubbed the “Tent Girl,” is found The badly decomposed, nude body of a young woman, initially suspected to be in her late teens, was found by Wilbur Riddle near the side of US Highway 25. She was wrapped in a fabric similar… Continue reading The body of “Tent Girl” found
Tag: 1960s
Man kills pilots, crashes plane carrying 43 others in mass killing-suicide
May 7, 1964 Near Danville, California Francisco “Frank” Gonzales shoots two commercial airplane pilots and himself while in the air, leading to the deaths of all 44 on board Gonzales (27) was despondent over his substantial debt from a gambling habit, as well as being recently separated from his wife of two years. He took… Continue reading Man kills pilots, crashes plane carrying 43 others in mass killing-suicide
Woman strangles baby she was babysitting
January 1, 1963 Phoenix, Arizona Betty Smithey (20) strangles the 15-month-old baby she was babysitting Four years before the murder, Smithey (then 16) kidnapped a child she was babysitting. She took 18-month-old Mitchell Johnson from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, hitchhiking or taking buses along the way. She and the toddler were found in… Continue reading Woman strangles baby she was babysitting
Man kills 6 children in murder-suicide
December 19, 1968 Napa, California A man kills 6 of his 7 children, sets his house on fire, and kills himself The motive behind Charles Coatney Bray’s murder-suicide was marital discord, as his wife had recently filed for divorce. He left a suicide note addressed to his wife, though the contents were not released to… Continue reading Man kills 6 children in murder-suicide
Woman kidnapped, buried alive for 83 hours during ransom
December 17, 1968 Decatur, Georgia 20-year-old Barbara Mackle is abducted and buried alive in a ransom attempt Barbara was chosen because her father, Robert Mackle, was a wealthy land developer. A little before 4 a.m., Gary Stephen Krist and Ruth Eisemann-Schier knocked on the motel door belonging to Barbara and her mother Jane Braznell Mackle.… Continue reading Woman kidnapped, buried alive for 83 hours during ransom
