The Bizarre Murder of Vera Stone
Beaten and strangled to death in 1924 downtown Los Angeles, Vera Stone’s murder remains unsolved
Los Angeles, California
05 Apr 1924, Sat • Page 2
Doomed from the Start
She wasn’t always known as Vera. She was born Carrie Elizabeth Dunbar, likely in San Francisco, California, in December of 1890. Carrie was the second child of George Dunbar and his wife, Gertrude.
George Dunbar spent most of Carrie’s younger years in an out of San Quentin, convicted of various burglaries in the area. Eventually, the Dunbars relocated to 3031 Eagle Street in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles.
When Carrie was only 15-years-old, her brother, George Jr, playfully aimed a gun at her face and demanded she hand over her ice cream. The gun accidentally discharged, and a bullet tore through Vera’s cheek, exiting near her eye. Doctor’s thought the girl would lose her sight. Miraculously, she recovered in a month without so much as a scar.
On July 11, 1914, one of the Dunbar girls found Mrs. Dunbar dead in her bedroom. George believed whole-heartedly that his wife committed suicide. He specifically stated that his wife swallowed carbolic acid. However, the coroner reviewed her medical history and determined Gertrude died of natural causes.
