Maoma Ridings had joined the United States Army during World War II to aid the war effort. A professional nurse turned physiotherapist; she was a young woman who enjoyed a good time. On August 30, 1943, she was found murdered in an Indianapolis hotel room. Who had ended the life of the well-liked nurse from Georgia?
Sources
Woman in Black is Hunted in Slaying of WAC. The Times, 8/30/1943
Army, Police Probe Death in Room 729. The Indianapolis Star, 8/30/1943
Woman Sought in WAC’s Death. The Indianapolis News, 8/30/1943
Phone Queries Add to Mystery. Indianapolis News, 8/31/1943
Find Trail of Woman in Black. The Indianapolis News, 9/1/1943
Slain WAC’s Funeral Set. The Indianapolis News, 9/1/1943
Bell Boy Put on Grill for Seven Hours. The Indianapolis Star, 9/2/1943
Window Studied as Escape Route. The Indianapolis News, 9/4/1943
Deputies Believe WAC Knew Killer. The Indianapolis News, 9/4/1943
Letter New WAC Clew (sp). The Indianapolis Star, 9/6/1943
Here Are the Events as They Unfolded In Sensational WAC Murder Case. The Indianapolis Star, 9/5/1943
Kamm, Jeff. At Your Leisure: The Downfall of a Landmark. Historic Indianapolis.com,1/30/2015
Browne, Tiffany Benedict. How the Claypool Hotel Began. Historic Indianapolis.com, 5/15/2019
Price, Nelson. Glamour and Gore: The Claypool and Lincoln Hotels. Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History, Indiana Historical Society Press, Winter 2020.
Creation of the Women’s Army Corps. www.army.mil
Georgia Warm Springs Foundation. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 1943; Roll: 10