Morbid

When hardware store owner Bernice Worden disappeared from her store on the morning of November 16, 1957, sheriff’s deputies traced the last sale made that morning to fifty-one-year-old recluse and occasional handyman Ed Gein. During a cursory search of the Gein property, investigators quickly located Worden’s decapitated and mutilated body in a shed on Gein’s property, but that was only one of the many horrors that awaited them on the farmstead. Inside the house, deputies found one of the most shocking and horrifying scenes ever documented in the history of American crime, revealing that the mild-mannered handyman locals had always believed harmless, was in fact a profoundly psychotic killer.

Thank you to the magnificent Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Associated Press. 1968. "Gein prosecution winds up murder testimony." Capital Times, November 9: 9.

—. 1968. "Gein ruled fit to stand trial." Green Bay Press-Gazette, January 16: 1.

Capital Times. 1958. "Bar Gein house admission fees." Capital Times, March 12: 4.

—. 1957. "Claims ten skulls came from graves ." Capital Times, November 18: 1.

—. 1958. "Gein insane, psychiatrist tells court." Capital Times, January 6: 3.

—. 1957. "Nearly wed gein, woman reveals." Capital Times, November 20: 1.

—. 1957. "Plan to open at least two." Capital Times, November 23: 1.

—. 1957. "Weeping Gein joins minister in prayer." Capital Times, November 22: 1.

—. 1957. "'Won't believe' graves robbed ." Capital Times, November 19: 1.

Daily Tribune. 1954. "Believe Bancroft tavernkeeper was slain." Daily Tribune, December 9: 1.

—. 1944. "Rites today for the man who died in Roche-a-Cri fire." Daily Tribune, May 19: 1.

Engel, Dave. 2005. "Whatever happened to Mary Hogan?" Daily Tribune, December 5: 6.

La Crosse Tribune. 1957. "State pushes murder charges against ." La Crosse Tribune, November 22: 1.

Portage Daily Register. 1957. "New rifle in shop used in slaying storekeeper." Portage Daily Register, November 19: 1.

Schechter, Harold. 1998. Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original Psycho. New York, NY: Gallery Books.

Stevens Point Journal. 1958. "Ed Gein's real estate sold for under $4,000." Stevens Point Journal, March 31: 1.

—. 1958. "Gein farmhouse leveled by early morning blaze." Stevens Point Journal, March 20: 1.

—. 1958. "Open house at Gein farm draws crowds." Stevens Point Journal, March 24: 1.

—. 1957. "Results of lie test announced." Stevens Point Journal, November 20: 1.

—. 1954. "Woman's disappearance hints slaying at Pine Grove tavern." Stevens Point Journal, December 9: 1.

United Press. 1957. "Hospital gets ready for Gein." Capital Times, November 23: 2.

United Press International. 1968. "Ed Gein found guilty of 1957 murder in Plainfield." Capital Times, November 14: 2.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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Not since Jack the Ripper or H.H. Holmes had a criminal so thoroughly shocked and captivated the public imagination; yet Gein’s crimes went far beyond what anyone imagined a person could be capable of. Indeed, he has served as the basis for some of Hollywood’s most iconic horror films including Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And, while he is only known to have killed two people during his active period, the list of crimes he is suspected of having committed is long and likely to remain a source of speculation for a long time to come.

Thank you to the magical Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Associated Press. 1968. "Gein prosecution winds up murder testimony." Capital Times, November 9: 9.

—. 1968. "Gein ruled fit to stand trial." Green Bay Press-Gazette, January 16: 1.

Capital Times. 1958. "Bar Gein house admission fees." Capital Times, March 12: 4.

—. 1957. "Claims ten skulls came from graves ." Capital Times, November 18: 1.

—. 1958. "Gein insane, psychiatrist tells court." Capital Times, January 6: 3.

—. 1957. "Nearly wed gein, woman reveals." Capital Times, November 20: 1.

—. 1957. "Plan to open at least two." Capital Times, November 23: 1.

—. 1957. "Weeping Gein joins minister in prayer." Capital Times, November 22: 1.

—. 1957. "'Won't believe' graves robbed ." Capital Times, November 19: 1.

Daily Tribune. 1954. "Believe Bancroft tavernkeeper was slain." Daily Tribune, December 9: 1.

—. 1944. "Rites today for the man who died in Roche-a-Cri fire." Daily Tribune, May 19: 1.

Engel, Dave. 2005. "Whatever happened to Mary Hogan?" Daily Tribune, December 5: 6.

La Crosse Tribune. 1957. "State pushes murder charges against ." La Crosse Tribune, November 22: 1.

Portage Daily Register. 1957. "New rifle in shop used in slaying storekeeper." Portage Daily Register, November 19: 1.

Schechter, Harold. 1998. Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original Psycho. New York, NY: Gallery Books.

Stevens Point Journal. 1958. "Ed Gein's real estate sold for under $4,000." Stevens Point Journal, March 31: 1.

—. 1958. "Gein farmhouse leveled by early morning blaze." Stevens Point Journal, March 20: 1.

—. 1958. "Open house at Gein farm draws crowds." Stevens Point Journal, March 24: 1.

—. 1957. "Results of lie test announced." Stevens Point Journal, November 20: 1.

—. 1954. "Woman's disappearance hints slaying at Pine Grove tavern." Stevens Point Journal, December 9: 1.

United Press. 1957. "Hospital gets ready for Gein." Capital Times, November 23: 2.

United Press International. 1968. "Ed Gein found guilty of 1957 murder in Plainfield." Capital Times, November 14: 2.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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When thirty-eight-year-old Steven Robards died unexpectedly in the winter of 1993, everyone including the coroner believed his death to have been the result of a heart attack—unusual for someone so young, but certainly not unheard of. It wasn’t until the following year, when Steven’s teenage daughter, Marie, was practicing for the school play, that the girl confessed the truth to her friend: Steven Robards didn’t die from a heart attack, he was murdered by his daughter with chemicals she’d stolen from the high school chemistry lab.

In the United States, it’s exceedingly rare for a child to kill a parent, and rarer still for that child to be female. The truth about Steven Robards murder shocked the residents of the Fort Worth area and divided the community between those who were sympathetic to her claims of desperation and those who saw her as nothing more than a craven predator who’d do anything to get what she wanted. Indeed, Marie claimed she had only wanted to make her father sick so she could return to living with her mother, from whom she’d been separated since her parents’ divorce, and she had never wanted to kill him.

Ultimately a jury didn’t buy Marie’s story and sentenced her to twenty-seven years in prison, of which she served only seven years before being paroled. Was Marie Robards really just a confused teenager who acted impulsive without regard for the consequences of her actions? Or was she really the calculating self-serving killer some believed her to be?

Thank you to David White, of the Bring Me the Axe podcast, for research assistance!

References

Blaney, Betsy. 1997. "Trial near for NRH teen accused of killing father." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 17: 1.

Cochran, Mike. 1996. "Ex-UT student headed for patricide trial." Austin American-Statesman, May 6: 11.

—. 1996. "Teen says she didn't mean to kill dad." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 6: 1.

Hanna, Bill, and Kathy Sanders. 1994. "Daughter appears in court." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 20: 21.

Hollandsworth, Skip. 1996. "Poisoning Daddy." Texas Monthly, July 01.

Hood County News. 1994. "City staff's reactions mixed on poison suspect's presence." Hood County News, November 2: 1.

Vozzella, Laura. 1996. "Accused dreamed of being coroner, prosecutor says." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 8: 50.

—. 1996. "Chemistry student gets 28-year term in father's death." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 11: 1.

—. 1996. "Teen is found guilty of poisoning her father." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 10: 15.

—. 1996. "Teacher says chemical hidden from police." Fort Worth Star-Telegraph, May 9: 21.

2001. Forensic Files. Directed by David Wasser. Performed by David Wasser.

Alaina's 2nd book in the Dr Wren Muller Series, THE BUTCHER GAME will be released on September 17th, 2024! To Pre-order go to (https://zandoprojects.com/books/the-butcher-game/) PLUS! If you preorder the book, get an autographed poster while supplies last by visiting (http://thebutchergame.com/)

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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On the evening of March 24, 1990, nearly one hundred patrons gathered to celebrate Carnivale at the Happy Land Social Club, a small informal night club in the Bronx that catered to a mostly Honduran clientele. The evening took a deadly turn when, around 3:30 am, an explosion of fire roared up the stairway leading to the second-floor club, blocking the only exit from the building and trapping the patrons in a room rapidly filling with toxic smoke and fire. It’s unknown how many patrons managed to escape the fire, but by the time the fire department had extinguished the blaze, eighty-seven people were dead.

Thank you to the amazing Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Barbanel, Josh. 1990. "Bronx social club's sublease: How a firetrap skirted the line." New York Times, March 28: B1.

—. 1990. "Tracing the club's owners." New York Times, March 27: B2.

Barron, James. 1990. "The living search the faces of the dead." New York Times, March 26.

Blumenthal, Ralph. 1990. "Fire in the Bronx; 87 die in blaze at illegal club." New York Times, March 26.

Gelman, Mitch, Alexis Jetter, and Beth Holland. 1990. "87 die in arson called act of spurned lover." Newsday, March 26: 3.

Gilbert, Allison. 2020. "A faded tragedy's long shadow." New York Times, March 29.

Golden, Tim. 1990. "In the saddest way, New York learns about Hondurans." New York Times, April 1.

Hernandez, Raymond. 1995. "Survivors call settlement 'unjust'." New York Times, July 7.

Hevesi, Dennis. 1992. "Guilty plea by landlord in fire case." New York Times, May 9.

Hirsch, James. 1988. "Most social clubs run the gamut of illegality." New York Times, August 22.

Kerr, Peter. 1986. "Social Clubs: Modern Mob still uses a few as offices." New York Times, April 15.

Lambert, Bruce. 1991. "Confession tape on Bronx blaze is heard by jury." New York Times, August 1.

Lorch, Donatella. 1991. "Ex-girlfriend recalls threat before flames." New York Times, July 31.

—. 1991. "Witness tells of visit by Happy Land fire suspect." New York Times, July 31.

Maykuth, Andrew. 1990. "N.Y. fire suspect described as 'down to his last hope'." Philadelphia Inquirer, 03 27: 1.

McFadden, Robert. 1990. "The Knights of the Padlock Sweep Forth." New York Times, March 31.

New York Times. 1990. "7 victims: their stories, struggles and dreams of better lives." New York Times, March 29.

Nieves, Evelyn. 1991. "Refugee found guilty of killing 87 in Bronx Happy Land fire." New York Times, August 20.

People of the State of New York v. Julio Gonzalez. 1995. 163 Misc. 2d 950 (New York Supreme Court, Bronx County, February 10).

Purdy, Matthew. 1995. "More than five years after the arson fire at the Happy Land Social Club..." New York Times, July 7.

Roberts, Sam. 2016. "Julio Gonzalez, arsonist who killed 87 at a nightclub in the Bronx, dies at 61." New York Times, September 15.

Schanberg, Sydney. 1990. "Please, some respect for 87 who died." Newsday, April 13: 62.

Stanley, Alessandra. 1991. "At Happy Land mass-murder trial, days of tears, humor and boredom." New York Times, July 28.

Stanley, Allessandra. 1990. "25 years to life for the arsonist at Happy Land." New York Times, September 20.

Strom, Stephanie. 1990. "Hispanic residents rally against closing of social clubs." New York Times, April 6.

Terry, Don. 1990. "Social club crackdown is the latest in a series." New York Times, March 26: A1.

Wichers, Christine. 1990. "Male violence the real cause of Bronx fire." New York Times, April 10.

THE BUTCHER GAME will be released on September 17th, 2024! To Pre-order go to (https://zandoprojects.com/books/the-butcher-game/) PLUS! If you preorder the book, get an autographed poster

while supplies last by visiting (http://thebutchergame.com/)

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

BIG, BIG NEWS AHEAD!!!! We are SO excited to announce that The SEQUEL, yes, the 2nd book of The Dr. Wren Muller Series- THE BUTCHER GAME will be released on September 17th, 2024! To Pre-order go to https://zandoprojects.com/books/the-butcher-game/ (https://zandoprojects.com/books/the-butcher-game/) PLUS! If you preorder the book, get an autographed poster

while supplies last by visiting

thebutchergame.com (http://thebutchergame.com/)

Also-- IT'S LISTENER TALES!!!!! And this month's episode is brought to you by gut feelings! In this episode, we hear about a ghostly visitor during an awkwardly intimate moment, a run in an elderly couple near an abandoned asylum, a portal to Marrakesh in a Weirdo's room, a UFO sighting on a beach, and a weird encounter with a car in a ditch!

If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to [email protected] with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line :)

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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The brutal murders of Ross, Brown, and Degnan shocked the city of Chicago and terrified and outraged the city’s residents, who wanted only to feel safe once again. Under intense pressure from the press, the public, and city officials, investigators were desperate to catch the killer and solve the case by any means necessary, even if they had to break more than a few rules and ignore some inconvenient facts in order to do it.

Thank you to the incredible Dave white of Bring Me the Axe & 99 Cent Rental Podcast for research!References

Amended Petition for Executive Clemency. 2002. C-06103 (Illinois Prisoner Review Board, April).

Arizona Republic . 1946. "Defendant fails in plea to jury." Arizona Republic, June 20: 18.

Banks, Joe. 1946. "Prisoner says he killed girl." Tucson Daily Citizen, June 26: 1.

Chicago Tribune. 1946. "Police resift all clues in Degnan case." Chcago Tribune, January 12: 1.

—. 1946. "2 rewards offered for 'execution' of girl's kidnap-slayer." Chicago Tribune, January 8: 2.

—. 1946. "Call Heirens sane; today's plea in doubt." Chicago Tribune, September 4: 1.

—. 1946. "Child stolen from her bed during the night." Chicago Tribune, January 8: 1.

—. 1945. "Ex-WAVE slain, plea written in red on wall." Chicago Tribune, December 11: 1.

—. 1946. "Handwriting similarity to killer's shown." Chicago Tribune, June 27: 1.

—. 1946. "Heirens gets new grilling following 'futile' lie test." Chicago Tribune, July 1: 1.

—. 1946. "Heirens made choice of plea, attorneys say." Chicago Tribune, August 7: 12.

—. 1946. "Murders, assaults, thefts, shooting; Heirens' story." Chicago Tribune, August 7: 1.

—. 1945. "Mystery grows in WAVE slaying." Chicago Tribune, December 12: 1.

—. 1943. "Organize posse of tenants and catch prowler." Chicago Tribune, August 9: 18.

—. 1946. "Repudiates his 'confession' in Degnan slaying." Chicago Tribune, June 29: 6.

—. 1946. "Student held in Degnan case puzzles police." Chicago Tribune, June 29: 1.

—. 1946. "Tubs in basement, saw and ax held best clews." Chicago Tribune, January 9: 1.

—. 1946. "U.C. Sophomore, facing police quiz, fakes coma." Chicago Tribune, June 29: 1.

—. 1946. "Use of serum in Heirens quiz still mystery." Chicago Tribune, July 1: 5.

—. 1945. "Widow is found in home; suitor quizzed." Chicago Tribune, June 6: 10.

Decatur Daily Review. 1946. "Chicago girl kidnapped; note demands $20,000." Decatur Daily Review, January 7: 1.

—. 1946. "Janitors grilled in kidnap-death." Decatur Daily Review, January 9: 1.

Decatur Herald. 1945. "Brutal WAVE slayer sought." Decatur Herald, December 12: 1.

Higgins, Michael. 2007. "1940s killer denied parole." Chicago Tribune, August 3: 1.

—. 2007. "Is 61 years in prison enough retribution." Chicago Tribune, July 29: 1.

Kennedy, Dolores. 1991. William Heirens: His Day in Court. New York, NY: Bonus Books.

New York Times. 1946. "Heirens confesses in no-chair deal." New York Times, August 7: 36.

Pantagraph. 1945. "Former Wave found brutally slain in Chicago bathtub." Pantagraph, December 10: 1.

People of the State of Illinois v William Heirens. 1954. 33165 (Supreme Court of Illinois, September 23).

People of the State of Illinois v William Heirens. 1995. 1-90-2240 (Appellate Court of the State of Illinois, March 15).

Priddy, Gladys. 1945. "Slain ex-WAVE a friend to all, roomate says." Chicago Tribune, December 14: 3.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

BIG, BIG NEWS AHEAD!!!! We are SO excited to announce that The SEQUEL, yes, the 2nd book of The Dr. Wren Muller Series will be released on September 17th, 2024! To Pre-order go to https://zandoprojects.com/books/the-butcher-game/ PLUS! If you preorder the book, get an autographed poster while supplies last by visiting thebutchergame.com.

On June 5, 1945, forty-three-year-old Josephine Ross was found stabbed to death in her Chicago apartment. Nothing had been stolen from Ross’ apartment and it appeared as though there were ritualistic aspects to the murder, but with little evidence and no suspects, the case hit a dead end almost as soon as it started. Ross’ murder came to detectives’ minds six months later, when another Chicago woman, Frances Brown, was found murdered in her apartment. This time an ominous message was scrawled on the wall in red lipstick: “For heavens sake catch me before I kill more I cannot control myself.”

The brutal nature of the two murders, and the implication that the killer would strike again, terrified the women of Chicago, and that fear was stoked by the city’s five major newspapers, who were in a daily battle for readers’ attention. The story reached a fever pitch just one month later when six-year-old Suzanne Degnan was abducted from her bedroom by someone who’d entered through an open window. Despite the presence of a ransom note demanding $20,000, investigators discovered Degnan’s dismembered body in the sewer a short time later.

Thank you to the incredible Dave white of Bring Me the Axe & 99 Cent Rental Podcast for research!

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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Sabrina & Corinne from Two Girls One Ghost join us on this week's episode to talk about the dark histories behind childhood nursery rhymes. Fresh off of our ghost hunting experience at the Lizzie Borden house, we talk about the childhood rhyme and where it went wrong, as well as talk about others that SEEMED so innocent!

Don't forget to check the episode on the Two Girls One Ghost feed where we talk about our ghost hunting experiences! It was WILD!

Thank you to the wonderful Dave White of Bring me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Burton-Hill, Clemency. 2015. The dark side of nursery rhymes. June 10. Accessed February 6, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150610-the-dark-side-of-nursery-rhymes.

Hazlett, Lisa A. 2009. "The use of British nursery rhymes and contemporary technology as venues for creating and expressing hidden literacies throughout time by children, adolescents, and adults." Forum on Public Policy: A Journal of the Oxford Round Table.

Opie, Iona, and Peter Opie. 1952. The Oxofrd Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Roberts, Chris. 2005. Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind the Rhyme. Sheridan, WY: Gotham Books.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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When millionaire Australian socialite Margaret Wales-King and her husband, Paul King, disappeared in April 2002, friends and family became concerned something serious had happened to the older couple. Those fears and concerns were confirmed a few weeks later, when park rangers discovered their bodies in a shallow grave in Marysville, Victoria. Margaret and her husband had been clubbed and strangled to death.

The press dubbed the murders “the society killings” and the tragedy captured the Australian public’s attention for the ways it seemed to have been pulled right out of a classic mystery novel. Yet for all the couple’s wealth, nothing appeared to be missing from their home and their bodies were discovered still wearing jewelry and in possession of credit cards and other valuables. Under the circumstances, police looked to Wales-King’s children, who stood to gain a great deal of money in the event of Margaret’s death. Within a week the case started to come together, and a suspect was revealed.

While most of the family responded to the Wales-King murders in a manner one would expect, thirty-four-year-old Matthew Wales behavior was erratic, explosive, and suspicious. Upon interviewing Matthew, investigators learned he was the last person to have seen his mother and stepfather the night they were murdered, after having dinner with Matthew and his wife, Maritza. A few weeks later, after multiple interviews, Matthew Wales confessed to murdering his parents; though why he had done it came as a shock to everyone who knew the family.

References

Anderson, Paul, Philip Cullen, and Mark Butler. 2002. "Bodies of missing couple in shallow grave." Advertiser, May 1.

Bonney, Hilary. 2003. The Society Murders: The true story of the Wales-King murders. Crows Nest, Australia: Allen and Unwin.

Clifton, Brad. 2002. "From high society to a grave in the bush." Daily Telegraph, May 4.

Daily Telegraph. 2002. "Son guilty of family killing." Daily Telegraph, October 18.

Green, Sue. 2002. "Crowds gather as search unfolds - son, wife charged over murders." Daily Telegraph, May 13.

Medew, Julia. 2007. "Wife of 'society murderer' avoids jail on ring theft." The Age, February 21.

Monroe, Ian. 2002. "The wayward youngest son." The Age, October 18.

Murphy, Padric. 2002. "Couple's disappearance baffles police." The Age, April 11.

Ross, Norrie, and Mark Buttler. 2003. "Death family vendetta, wife of killer brother will not profit." The Mercury, April 12.

Silvester, John. 2003. "Murder in the Family." The Age, April 11.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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While the tragic loss of two young lives was particularly shocking, the Career Girl Murders is better remembered as one of the most egregious cases of police coercion and abuse in the state’s history. Eight months after the murder, investigators arrested nineteen-year-old George Whitmore, an intellectually disabled day laborer from whom they elicited a false confession, not only for the murder of Hoffert and Wylie, but also for the murder of a single mother in Brooklyn. Eight more months would pass before the charges against Whitmore were dropped, and several more years before police arrested Wylie and Hoffert’s real killer, twenty-two-year-old drug addict and burglar Richard Robles.

The murders of Emily Hoffert and Janice Wylie were just two of several high-profile New York City murders that reshaped how wealthy and middle-class white people thought of urban life in the 1960s. More importantly, however, it’s more important legacy is the extent to which it shined a light on how race and class can influence a police investigation and jury verdict, and how justice can be delayed or diverted in the interest of efficiency and the illusion of safety.

References

Anderson, David. 1965. "Jury that convicted Whitmore to be questioned on race bias." New York Times, January 15: 19.

Bigart, Homer. 1963. "Killing of 2 girls yields no clue; police question 500 in a month." New York Times, September 27: 1.

Buckley, Thomas. 1964. "Youth is accused in Wylie slaying." New York Times, April 26: 1.

Clark, Alfred E. 1963. "Girl got phone threats 10 days before murder." New York Times, August 30: 13.

Gansberg, Martin. 1964. "East Side tenants sigh in relief at capture of slaying suspect." New York Times, April 27: 21.

Johnson, Marilynn S. 2011. "The Career Girl Murders: Gender, Race, and Crime in 1960s New York." Women's Studies Quarerly (The Feminist Press at City University of New York) 244-261.

Jones, Theodore. 1965. "Jury finds Robles guilty in Wylie-Hoffert killings." New York Times, December 2: 1.

—. 1965. "Witness says Robles pondered murdering girls." New York Times, November 4: 40.

Kihiss, Peter. 1964. "Brooklyn indicts 3-slaying suspect." New York Times, April 29: 48.

Lefkowitz, Bernard, and Ken Gross. 1969. The Victims: The Wylie-Hoffert Murder Case and its Strange Aftermath. New York, NY: Putnam.

National Registry of Exonerations. n.d. George Whitmore, Jr. Accessed January 17, 2024. https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetailpre1989.aspx?caseid=358.

New York Times. 1963. "2 girls murdered in E. 88th St. flat." New York Times, August 29: 1.

—. 1975. "Max Wylie, writer, murder victim's father, is suicide." New York Times, September 23: 24.

—. 1946. "Suspect in slaying of 2 career girls found sane here." New York Times, October 17: 31.

—. 1964. "Whitmore guilty of rape attempt in Brooklyn case." New York Times, November 19: 43.

Roth, Jack. 1965. "Trial fading out in Wylie murder." New York Times, January 22: 17.

The People of the State of New York, v. Richard Robles. 1970. 27 N.Y.2d 155 (Court of Appeals of the State of New York, September 24).

Tolchin, Martin. 1964. "Victim describes Brooklyn attack." New York Times, November 13: 30.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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