Thinkery & Verse present

In July 2020, Mateo ( 2 years old) and "Mommy" (Karen Alvarado, Producer of Podcast/Co-AD of Thinkery & Verse) walked through the empty chapel and small rooms of The Church of Saint John the Evangelist, the home parish of the slain preacher and choir singer. As they explore you will hear Karen reminisce on how the church entered their lives and wonder what it was like in the 1920s when Edward and Eleanor shared the space... with possibly their murderers. As Karen unpacks the aesthetics and "feel" of the rooms, Mateo plays, asks questions, sings and offers emotional responses to certain sections of the church. Listen to hear what this mother-son team unpack in their impromptu exploration of "The Murder Church."

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Our collaboration with the Church of Saint John the Evangelist has enabled us to access their archives, a collection that dates back to the church's founding in 1861. In the vestry book, Karen Alvarado finds the moment where Edward Hall hires James Mills to work as the groundskeeper at the church, signalling increasing contact between the Hall and Mills families. We also explore the vestry's response to the death of Edward Hall and Eleanor Mills, the decision to quickly hire a new priest, and strange evidence of a carefully removed section from the notes of the Men's Council. 

Hosted by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson, with special guests Karen Alvarado and J. M. Meyer.
Introduced by Erin Bogert.   
Chorus of voices: Ensemble of "Thou Shalt Not".
Sound design and editing from Karen Alvarado, Erin Bogert and Sean Ullmer. 
Copy writing by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson.
Copy editing by Karen Alvarado. 
Episode directed by Karen Alvarado.
Produced by Karen Alvarado and Thinkery & Verse.

Want to support, work with, or give feedback to us? Email: [email protected]

If you've been listening along, you know what hosts Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson and Johnny Kavanagh think about whodunit. However, their theory is just one of many. Tune in this episode to hear what other theories there are, and to discuss the case with none other than New Brunswick historian Dr. Bob Belvin. 

Hosted by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson and Johnny Kavanagh.  
Chorus of voices: Ensemble of "Thou Shalt Not".
Sound design and editing from Erin Bogert assisted by Sean Ullmer. 
Copy writing by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson.
Copy editing by Karen Alvarado. 
Episode directed by Erin Bogert.
Produced by Karen Alvarado and Thinkery & Verse.

Want to support, work with, or give feedback to us? Email: [email protected]

Without further ado, let’s jump right back in to where we last left off in the summer of 1926. It has been almost four years since the murders, and it seems like everyone has forgotten about Edward Hall and Eleanor Mills. But a mix of partisan politics and provocative New York City media coverage ensures that the case will go to trial....

Want to support, work with, or give feedback to us? Email: [email protected]

Our collaboration with the Church of Saint John the Evangelist has enabled us to access their archives, a collection that dates back to the church's founding in 1861. 

Hosted by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson, with special guests Karen Alvarado and J. M. Meyer.
Introduced by Erin Bogert.   
Chorus of voices: Ensemble of "Thou Shalt Not".
Sound design and editing from Karen Alvarado, Erin Bogert and Sean Ullmer. 
Copy writing by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson.
Copy editing by Karen Alvarado. 
Episode directed by Karen Alvarado.
Produced by Karen Alvarado and Thinkery & Verse.


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On September 15th, neither Frances Hall nor James Mills report to the police that their spouses are missing. On September 16th, two young people stumble across the bodies of Edward Hall and Eleanor Mills on a lover's lane just outside of New Brunswick, New Jersey.  The investigation begins, but almost immediately falls apart due to county disputes, class deference to the Stevens family, and general incompetence. This episode features special guest Erin Bogert.

Hosted by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson and Johnny Kavanagh. 
Chorus of voices: Ensemble of "Thou Shalt Not".
Sound design and editing from Erin Bogert and Sean Ullmer.
Copy writing by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson.
Copy editing by Karen Alvarado.
Episode directed by Erin Bogert.
Produced by Karen Alvarado and Thinkery & Verse.

Warning: the violence against Eleanor Mills is graphic and strange, and will be upsetting to many listeners. 

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So far on this journey through the Hall-Mills story, we’ve been focusing on the background information about our main players and how they all came to be where they were in the fall of 1922 and now we have arrived at the other day that will live in infamy: September 14, 1922.

Hosted by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson and Johnny Kavanagh.  
Chorus of voices: Ensemble of "Thou Shalt Not".
Sound design and editing from Erin Bogert and Sean Ullmer. 
Copy writing by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson.
Copy editing by Karen Alvarado. 
Episode directed by Erin Bogert.
Produced by Karen Alvarado and Thinkery & Verse.

Want to support, work with, or give feedback to us? Email: [email protected]

Hosted by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson and Johnny Kavanagh.  
Chorus of voices: Ensemble of "Thou Shalt Not".
Sound design and editing from Erin Bogert and Sean Ullmer. 
Copy writing by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson.
Copy editing by Karen Alvarado. 
Episode directed by Karen Alvarado.
Produced by Karen Alvarado and Thinkery & Verse.

Want to support, work with, or give feedback to us? Email: [email protected]

Eleanor Reinhardt Mills attended Saint John's almost her whole life, and for much of that time she performed as a soprano in the church's choir. She married young, and her husband, James Mills, proved to be a man without any obvious ambition, but after her murder he became both a suspect and a scapegoat. 

Hosted by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson and Johnny Kavanagh.  
Special guests: Karen Alvarado and Celine Dirkes. 
Chorus of voices: Ensemble of "Thou Shalt Not".
Sound design and editing from Erin Bogert and Sean Ullmer. 
Copywriting by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson.
Copy editing by Karen Alvarado. 
Episode directed by Karen Alvarado.
Produced by Karen Alvarado and Thinkery & Verse.

Want to support, work with, or give feedback to us? Email: [email protected]

Episode 2 explores the dynamics of the Hall family: Edward, the adulterous priest found murdered outside of town; Frances, the somewhat older wife of Edward--and a wealthy, heiress who played a pivotal role in New Brunswick society prior to her arrest; and Willie Stevens, Frances' odd brother who lived with his sister and brother-in-law and was kept on an allowance. They all lived at 23 Nichols, a stately house now belonging to Rutgers University, just up the hill from the church at the center of Edward's extra-marital affair.

Hosted by Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson and Johnny Kavanagh.  
Special guests: Ania Upstill, Frank Dolce, Sean Ullmer.
Chorus of voices: Ensemble of "Thou Shalt Not".
Copywriter Kaitlin Ormerod Hutson.
Copy editor Karen Alvarado.
Sound design and editing from Erin Bogert and Sean Ullmer. 
Episode directed by Karen Alvarado.
Produced by Karen Alvarado and Thinkery & Verse.

Want to support, work with, or give feedback to us? Email: [email protected]