The questionable 1929 disappearance and lonely death of one of California’s wealthiest women
San Francisco, California
29 Aug 1903, Sat • Page 4
Edith Irene Wolfskill was born in California in May of 1872. Her parents were well respected, and wealthy California pioneers named John and Susanne Wolfskill (Nee Moore). Edith, the youngest Woflskill child, was an only daughter. She had two brothers named Nay and Matt.
John Wolfskill came to California in 1849 to join his father and brother, where the Wolfskills hit the motherload of Mexican land grants. They received over 17,000 acres surrounding the Putah Creek in Yolo County.
When John arrived, his father, Mathus, already cleared the land for farming and for his sons to build homes. They called…
The true crime story involving a deformed man who had an an illicit affair with his sister, murdered most of his relatives, and left San Bernardino shook
Around 8 PM on May 7, 1941, Lester Bellah and his wife drove to a Devore Heights party, rural San Bernardino County, California. Lester thought he heard a muffled voice yelling for help, but his wife didn’t hear a thing. Lester was rattled, but the couple continued to the party. They left the party at 10 PM for their nearby home. As Lester walked toward their porch steps, he heard the voice again, “Help! Help! Help…” He couldn’t tell if the voice was male or female, only that it was weaker than before. …
The Colorado Street Bridge is a historic and beautiful work of art that draws dejected people to its ledges in their most desperate final moments
Pasadena is a quaint city in Los Angeles, chocked for adorable turn-of-the last century Craftsman homes. Nestled in the San Fernando Valley, Pasadena is home to the Rose Parade, Rose Bowl, and one famous little old lady.
Spanish explorers to the area in the 18th century called the Tongva indigenous population Gabrielinos, and they called the land Rancho San Pasqual. When the city was incorporated on January 31, 1874, it took the name “Pasadena,” the Ojibwa word for “The Valley.”
Pasadena’s founders set out to build a community for folks who valued honesty, innovation, and sobriety. …
Knoxville, Tennessee
21 Apr 1946, Sun • Page 36
Starved, overdosed, and drowned by her mother and aunts, Ocey Snead became the center of a scandalous murder in turn of the century New Jersey
His California murder spree spanned two terrifying decades and left a trail of missing children who may never be recovered.
Each day millions of people travel California’s freeways, seemingly unaware they are driving over graves. One man abducted between six and 22 children between 1953 and 1971, disposing of most of their bodies beneath our highways.
The First
A 17-year-old homecoming queen from Redlands, California, shot to death by an unknown bandit turned murderer
Los Angeles, California
09 Feb 1948, Mon • Page 1
Lucky. That’s how James Sloan Jr of Redlands, California must have felt when the object of his affections agreed to go with him to a Palm Springs Rodeo as his date on February 7, 1948. Her name was Marjorie Lee Winn. Margie was a 17-year-old high school senior. She was stunning, with raven hair and piercing dark eyes. Margie was a notable contender for Redlands High School homecoming queen. James, a young veteran and budding photographer, thought he might use the opportunity to photograph the beautiful girl.
Like James, Margie came from a well-to-do San Bernardino County family. Her father…
Allentown, Pennsylvania
01 May 1920, Sat • Page 1
He married more women in a decade than he can recall and murdered most of them
Los Angeles, California
23 Jan 1930, Thu • Page 8
Beaten and strangled to death in 1924 downtown Los Angeles, Vera Stone’s murder remains unsolved
In 1920, ten year old Aurore Gagnon, died after suffering from years of torture in the hands of her parents
Fortierville was a sparsely populated village in 1920, located just south of the St. Lawrence River, 60 miles from Quebec City. It was the type of place where everyone knew everybody. Though neighbors minded their own business, there were no secrets. The citizens were French-speaking Roman Catholics, and the Gagnon family was no exception.
Marie-Aurore-Lucienne Gagnon was the second child of farmer Télesphore Gagnon and his first wife, Marie-Anne Evelyn Caron. Those who knew the girl called her Aurore. Aurore was born May 31, 1909, in Sainte-Philomène-de-Fortierville, Quebec, Canada. Her sister, Marie-Jeanne, was just a year older. …
An Oklahoma child abducted in plain sight following one of the deadliest tornados in US history
A Perfect Storm
On April 9, 1947, an F5 tornado swept across the North American plains. The twister killed hundreds, injured hundreds more, and leveled the small town of Woodward, Oklahoma. 185 lives were lost in the storm. In the ensuing pandemonium, surviving members of the Croft family would be left to wonder what happened to their youngest member, 4-year-old Joan Gaye Croft.
The twister stretched nearly two miles across and touched down at 8:43 PM. Windspeeds inside the tornado fluctuated an incredible 220 to 440 miles per hour. …
