Bessie smiled to herself as she carefully wrapped her cookie dough in a large piece of wax paper. The paper made a thick crinkling sound as she manipulated it around, taking care to preserve the star shapes that she had already cut out. The afternoon light filtered through the windows of her small apartment, washing …
Heartrending events in the life of Margaretha Nehlsen had brought her to the very depths of despair. No one knew that she was about to cause an even more horrific tragedy.
Starting in about 1820 and ending at the turn of the 20th Century, cultural norms in Western Europe began to shift. At the same time, things were also changing in the United States. America began to experience an enormous influx of immigrants from the western portion of the European continent and the United Kingdom. …
Poisoned Chocolate: The Nehlsen Murder/Suicide of 1910 Read More »
Mary Schlais was murdered on a cold February morning in 1974, just as a man named Randy was making his way to Wisconsin. Was this soft-spoken monster responsible for her death? Olson, Aaron. DNA Analysis could solve cold case mystery. The Chippewa Herald, 2/4/2009 (updated 2/4/2011) Collin, Liz. Could a Serial Killer And Former …
Episode 59: ‘Call Me Randy:’ The Soft-Spoken Killer Read More »
When the residents of Dunn County, Wisconsin woke up on the morning of February 15, 1974, none of them expected to hear about a murder in their area, but they did. About mid-morning, police were notified that a body had been found in a ditch along a dead-end road. When they arrived, authorities found …
Mary Schlais was a beautiful young artist with her entire life ahead of her. A veteran hitchhiker, one bad ride in 1974 changed her life forever. Sources Stromberg, Joseph. The forgotten art of hitchhiking – and why it disappeared. http://www.vox.com, Jun 10, 2015 Ganzel, Bill. Wessels Living History Farm. http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org, 2003 …
Episode 58: One Bad Ride: The Murder of Mary Schlais Read More »
The young woman walked slowly along the shoulder of the road, loose gravel crunching under her feet. Her oversized green jacket, a gift from her brother last Christmas, was a little warm for the weather. She tried not to let it bother her, but as the day got more humid, it became harder and harder …
Steamboats are an iconic part of the history of the Mississippi River. In the case of the steamboat Lansing, however, that history turned both tragic and terrifying in a split second.
The Mississippi River, despite its nickname the “Big Muddy,” is surrounded by natural beauty. Bluffs over look the water as it meanders its way through the landscape, making its way ever southward toward the Gulf of Mexico. As picturesque as it is, there is a very practical side to the river as well. The …
Steam and Fury: The Lansing Steamboat Disaster of 1867 Read More »
The first time that I remember hearing about a place called “dead man’s” anything was when I was over at a friend’s house in Rock Island, Illinois. We were out riding bikes and one of them made mention that we were coming up on ‘dead man’s hill.’ Clueless, I asked what that meant. One of …
