Episode 60: Poisoned Chocolate: The Nehlsen Murder/Suicide of 1910
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.
Iowa
Episode 57: Steam and Fury: The Lansing Steamboat Disaster of 1867
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.
Steam and Fury: The Lansing Steamboat Disaster of 1867
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 …
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The Koenig Murder/Suicide of 1870
Some have said that the most dangerous people that you can ever come across are people that have nothing to lose. They aren’t going to lose any social standing. They’re not going to lose the respect or love of their family. They’re broke, so they’re not going to be losing anything financially. These individuals have …
Episode 48: Ghosts of the Pandemic, Part 2: Home Front
In 1918, Americans on the home front were supporting their troops fighting in Europe while waging a war of their own against a deadly pandemic. Does one of the souls lost to the flu still haunt a Midwestern college? Sources Fannon-Langton, Dianne. The Ghost of Helen Roberts. The Gazette, 10/20/2019 Langton, Diane. Time Machine: Flu killed …
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Ghosts of the Pandemic, Part 3: Burial
Mt. Zion is a small cemetery outside of Newton, Iowa. For decades, farmers and their families have buried their loved ones there, allowing them to enjoy their eternal rest surrounded by the farm ground that they had spent their entire lives tending to. It was one such burial that brought the gravediggers there that day. …
Ghosts of the Pandemic, Part 2: Home Front
When I was attending Iowa State University, I decided that I needed to take up running. Up until that point, running was never my thing. I didn’t like it. I preferred to walk. All through my life, I had loved to go hiking out in the woods. I would walk for miles, taking in the …
Struck Down in the Dark – The Charles Englehart Murder
I’m not afraid of the dark. I take my trash out in the middle of the night without a flashlight, treading the familiar ground of my yard with confidence in the inky blackness of the night. At the end of the day, I turn off the light’s downstairs and, if I need to do something …
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Struck Down in the Dark – The Charles Englehart Murder
Charles Englehart was attacked outside of his car one dark night in 1935. A harmless 70-year-old man liked by everyone, who would commit such an awful crime? Sources ‘C.A. Englehart Robbed, Slain.’ Davenport Times and Democrat, 9/23/1935 ‘Seek Motive for Englehart Slaying.’ The Daily Times, 9/23/1935 ‘Iowan Killed by Assailant.’ Iowa City Press-Citizen, 9/23/1935 …
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Episode 42: Deadly Relations
An early December blizzard chilled Iowa to the bone. It still wasn’t as cold as the heart of a father seeking vengeance for his daughter. But did he know the entire story? Sources All Iowa is in Grip of Blizzard. The Evening Gazette, 12/5/1925 Winter Holds Entire State in Icy Grasp. Iowa City Press-Citizen, …