Don’t forget to bring a talking dog. And some teenagers.
I found some articles at the chroniclingamerica(dot)loc(dot)gov website. It turns
out that my grandfather’s sister was having an affair with another man. This
man was married but estranged from his wife. He shot my grandfather’s sister
and then committed suicide. He left behind a note that said his estranged
wife had done the crime. The wife had a strong alibi and the police concluded
that it was the husband who had done the crime. Found death certificate for
husband that confirmed cause of death and that it has same time and location
as the death of my grandfather’s sister. I’ve left out alot of details -
the whole thing is a really ugly bloody incident.
Thanks to all who have helped me solve this nearly century old mystery. I will
be visiting my mom this afternoon and will be giving her the whole story.
That’s some weird-ass story even without more details. Glad you found out so much within a few days, with the help of the Dope.
As a bystander of this thread, I just want to thank OP for following up so quickly on the suggestions and finding out the story, and then sharing it with us.
I am very curious about why your grandfather’s married sisters boyfriend (married to but estranged from his own wife) would shoot his married girlfriend and try to blame it on his estranged wife (while also committing suicide). Have I got that right? (If I were writing this in a story, the widower of your grandfather’s sister, and the exonerated widow of your grandfather’s sister’s boyfriend/murderer, would meet cute a couple years later, after never having met before, fall in love, and get married. After they were married, they would find out their connection. Then something happens, but I don’t know what, I’m not that good at making up stories.)
That’s a pretty crazy story. Sounds like something you’d see on a Dateline special. Glad you were able to find out the details even though it was tragic.
Roderick_Femm:
Yes, you got it right. Looking at all the details (I left the ugly really ones out of the
story) it looks like the husband had a loose screw and wanted to inflict some sort of pain
or revenge on his estranged wife. I’ve wondered what the relationship between
my granfather’s sister and her husband was like. Why did she cheat on him?
And what was the relationship between my granfather’s sister and her killer
like? Did she say or do something that triggered his crazy mind?
It has all been lost to history I’m afraid.
How old was your great-aunt when she was killed?
What a crazy story - thanks for updating us as you went along!
It’s pretty amazing what can be tracked down now online. Not too long ago someone would have to visit a local library or other depository and scroll through miles of microfiche hoping to stumble upon a clue for the next leg of the search.
Her death certificate says “about 34 years” but I think she was actually
about 36 based on family history and census records. Her killer was 36.