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
Tag: 1960s
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
Two airplanes collide mid-air
December 16, 1960 New York, New York Two airplanes collide mid-air, killing 136 One of the planes, whose destination was Idlewild Airport (now John F. Kennedy International), was in a holding pattern waiting for permission to land. The second plane, flying into LaGuardia Airport, miscalculated the other plane’s path and ran into the first. The… Continue reading Two airplanes collide mid-air
Musician and inmate serving life for killing wife dies after singing at sheriffs benefit concert
November 23, 1969 Oakland, California Musician “Spade” Cooley dies of a heart attack after singing “It’s Time to Live, It’s Time to Die” at a benefit show for the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Alameda County At the time of his death, Cooley, known as the “King of Western Swing,” was on 72-hour leave prison to… Continue reading Musician and inmate serving life for killing wife dies after singing at sheriffs benefit concert
Jr. High student shoots, kills principal
November 18, 1969 Tomah, Wisconsin An unnamed 14-year-old student shoots and kills his school principal The teen — who remained unnamed due to Wisconsin law at the time which protected the identities of offenders under the age of 16 — often had trouble with authority figures. In a “fit of anger,” the teen went to… Continue reading Jr. High student shoots, kills principal
