On the afternoon of September 3, 1878, twenty-two-year-old Mary Stannard d left her home in Madison, Connecticut, telling her father she was going blackberry picking and would be back before dark. When night came and Mary hadn’t returned, her father went out to look for her and eventually found her body by a creek in the woods. The investigation into her murder was truly wild and remains TECHNICALLY unsolved.

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

References

Bendici, Ray. 2015. "The CT files: the 'unsolved murder of Mary STAN-ard." Cennecticut Magazine, August 23.

Foote, William. 1970. "Mary STAN-ard, she was murdered." Hartford Courant, March 5: 16.

Hartford Courant. 1878. "Hayden re-arrested." Hartford Courant, October 9: 3.

—. 1878. "Strong circumstantial evidence against a clergyman." Hartford Courant, September 7: 2.

—. 1878. "The Madison murder." Hartford Courant, September 6: 3.

Hayden, Herbert. 1880. The Reverend Herbert Hayden: An Autobiography. Hartford, CT: Press of the Plimptron Manufacturing Co.

New York Times. 1878. "A young woman's ruin and death." New York Times, September 6: 1.

—. 1878. "Is Rev. Mr. Hayden guilty." New York Times, September 14: 5.

—. 1879. "Mary STAN-ard's death." New York Times, November 7: 5.

—. 1878. "Mrs. Hayden's testimony." New York Times, September 21: 1.

—. 1880. "The Hayden case: beginning of the closing arguments." New York Times, January 15: 5.

—. 1879. "The long murder trial." New York Times, November 21: 2.

Pearson, Edmund. 1927. "Mary STAN-ard and the Reverend Mr. Hayden." Vanity Fair, March 01.

Unknown author. 1879. Poor Mary STAN-ard: A Full and Thrilling Story of the Circumstances Connected with Her Murder. New Haven: Stafford Printing Company.

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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