October 20, 1931 Chester, Illinois Merle (alt. spelling: Merley, Murley) Johnson is executed for the murders of his live-in girlfriend and her two sons On May 20, 1931, Johnson (25) shot Carrie Bowers (38) before he strangled her sons, Joseph (6) and Delmar (19 months). The boys were also bludgeoned with a car crank and… Continue reading Man executed for murdering girlfriend and her young sons
Tag: murderer
Man kills estranged wife, 3 young children in jealous rage
October 19, 1991 Concord, New Hampshire James Colbert strangles his estranged wife and smothers their three young daughters Colbert and his wife, Mary Jayne Jenovese, had married three years before the murders, though their marriage became strained almost immediately. In August of 1991, Jenovese reported Colbert had cut her with a razor blade. Colbert allegedly… Continue reading Man kills estranged wife, 3 young children in jealous rage
Woman burns 5 to death, including 3 children, because of pushchair left in hallway
October 19, 2012 Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales Melanie Smith sets fire to a pushchair, killing two adults and three children Smith and partners Liam Timbrell and Lee-Anna Shiers had had a tenuous neighborly relationship. Smith had become angry at a pushchair (stroller) frequently being left outside her flat in the building’s communal hallway, as well as… Continue reading Woman burns 5 to death, including 3 children, because of pushchair left in hallway
Woman dies after being ritualistically flogged by husband
October 18, 1951 St. Paul, Minnesota Ardith Lennander dies after severe flogging during a religious ceremony to “beat the devil out” of her On October 17, the body of 64-year-old Anna Halvorson was “found in a pool of blood in a bed” in the Lauderdale home of her daughter and son-in-law, Marie and Patrick Doyle.… Continue reading Woman dies after being ritualistically flogged by husband
Man who had been hiding in attic for weeks kills friend, “haunts” house for 9 more months
October 17, 1941 Denver, Colorado Theodore Coneys, later called the “Denver Spider Man,” kills 73-year-old Philip Peters after being caught stealing from Peters’ ice box Coneys had fallen on hard times and was desperate for food. He and Peters had been friends and Coneys visited his home in hopes of being invited to dinner as… Continue reading Man who had been hiding in attic for weeks kills friend, “haunts” house for 9 more months
