In the heart of 1920s Los Angeles—an era of silent films, speakeasies, and seismic social change—a shocking crime unfolded behind the closed doors of a quiet suburban home. What seemed like a typical domestic dispute between a husband and wife turned out to be the final act in a chilling secret that had been hiding just above their heads.
For years, unbeknownst to her husband, Dolly Oesterreich had harbored a secret lover in their attic. When tensions in the household reached a breaking point, the hidden man descended from the rafters—gun in hand—and forever altered the lives below. This is the true story of love, deception, and murder in the shadows of Los Angeles’ golden age.
On December 22, 1939, William Joyce was driving down highway U.S. 20 between South Bend and Mishawaka, Indiana. At around 3:00 in the morning, a figure stumbled out onto the snowy roadway ahead of him. Unable to stop in time, Joyce hit the person, sending him flying 40 feet down the road. Joyce jumped out of his vehicle to give aid. When he saw the state of the man, he knew there was nothing he could do but find a phone to call police.
When the police arrived, they found that this wasn’t simply a case of a vehicle versus pedestrian accident. The gravely injured man before them was blindfolded, gagged, and bound. This obviously led to many questions, the main one being…who tied up Stephen Melkey and left him by the highway?
UPDATE: On December 8, 2022, police announced they have identified “the boy in the box,” as Joseph Augustus Zarelli. More details at the end of this post.
“The boy in the box,” is one of the most heartbreaking unsolved murder cases in the United States. A beaten and bruised child left in a cardboard box among the trash of a dumping ground. The boy’s age had been between three and seven years old. Due to the child being malnourished, it was difficult to determine a more exact age.
Now, over 65 years later, the case remains unsolved. The boy’s identity and who murdered him are still unknown. We will delve into the location that he was found, how he was found, and theories about who he may have been. Please be aware that this post contains post-mortem photos, which may be upsetting to some.
Mary Little was a newlywed who vanished from a shopping center parking lot in Atlanta, Georgia on October 14, 1965. Her husband of six weeks had been out of town and was expected back home the next day. Mary had went to the grocery store to purchase items for a ‘welcome back’ dinner she was planning for him.
The next day, her car was found abandoned in the same grocery store parking lot. The groceries were still in the car, but the only sign of Mary were smears of her blood and underwear that had been folded neatly and left between the front seats.
The investigation into her case led to many bizarre clues, both leading up to and following her disappearance. There were unwanted calls and gifts that she received in the weeks before she went missing. In the weeks after, there were two credible sightings of her in North Carolina. Witnesses reported that she was bloodied and accompanied by men.
This may at first seem like a clear case of abduction, but there are some investigators who have reason to believe it may have been a staged disappearance. So, which was it?
Well, the case remains an unsolved mystery. As you read about the circumstances surrounding Mary’s disappearance, you can draw your own conclusions as to what you believe may have happened to her.
“Jolly” Jane Toppan was quoted as saying that her goal in life was “to have killed more people—helpless people—than any other man or woman who ever lived.” Her career as a nurse gave her the perfect opportunity to carry out that mission. She had access to drugs that were lethal if given at wrong dosages and elderly patients, whose deaths may not raise much suspicion. Eventually “Jolly” Jane became too enthusiastic with her killings, murdering four members of a family she was supposed to be caring for, causing authorities to take notice.
“Jolly” Jane Toppan
When she was arrested, she claimed to have killed as many as 31 people, though only 12 were proven to have been connected to her. What made Jane Toppan’s case unusual is her motive. The majority of female serial killers commit their murders for financial gain, maybe even for attention, but not “Jolly” Jane. She did it for the sexual thrill she gained from holding and caressing them as they died.
Leslie “Mad Dog” Irvin received his nickname due to the ruthless murders he committed and the way he was led into the courtroom for his trial chained like a dog. The prosecutor in the case even referred to Irvin as “Mad Dog” in his closing arguments. How many people fell victim to the hands of Leslie Irvin? How did he carry out the murders? Was he found guilty? If so, was he sentenced to death? Read on as we explore the life and crimes of Leslie “Mad Dog’ Irvin.
This is a collection of some of the greatest last words spoken by criminals before execution. They range from disturbing, chilling, sad, awesome, and even funny.
Wallace Wilkinson
Name: Wallace Wilkerson
Crime: Shot and killed William Baxter after an argument about cheating in a game of cribbage.
Sentence: Death by firing squad on May 16, 1879
Last Words: “Oh my God! Oh my God! They have missed!”
The firing squad missed shooting his heart and it took 15-27 minutes for him to die from blood loss.
Martha Beck and Raymond Martinez Fernandez are a couple better known as “The Lonely Hearts Killers.” Raymond had gotten a head start on his criminal career before meeting Martha. He mainly committed petty crimes such as theft until 1947 when it’s believed he committed his first murder. In 1947 when Raymond responded to Martha’s lonely hearts ad in the newspaper, she was to be his next victim. Instead the couple ended up falling in love. When Martha found out about Raymond’s criminal past she thought it was a brilliant scheme. She joined him and together they used the personal ads to search for their victims. Those unfortunate women who were only looking for love were instead conned, robbed, and murdered. The lonely hearts killers are known to have killed four people, but may have had has many as 20 victims.
Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck, “The Lonely Hearts Killers.”
Belle Gunness was born Brynild Paulsdatter Størseth on November 11, 1859 near Selbu, Norway. In 1881, at the age of 21, she moved to the United States in search of wealth and gave herself the Americanized name of Bella (Belle) Petersen. Belle did indeed become wealthy, but not because she earned the money honestly. Quite the opposite, in fact.
It is believed that Belle killed at least 14 people, though some speculate that number could be as many as forty, earning herself a variety of nicknames including Hell’s Belle, the Black Widow, and Lady Bluebeard.
The truth of her crimes wasn’t known until her supposed death in 1908. In April of that year, the Gunness farmhouse in La Porte, Indiana burned to the ground. The body of a woman along with Belle’s three children were found and as investigators continued the search of the property, the partial remains of at least 11 other people were discovered.
But did she really die in the fire of 1908? After all, the body that was supposedly Belle’s was headless, making it impossible to positively identify during a time long before DNA testing. Also take into account the numerous sightings of her all over the country for decades after her “death.” It sure does make you wonder.
The Wineville chicken coop murders involved the kidnapping and murder of at least four young boys, though authorities believe there could have been as many as 20 victims. These events took place between the years 1926 and 1928 in what was once the town of Wineville, California. Before these boys were murdered, they first had to endure both physical and sexual abuse. The town was so horrified and heartbroken by what had occurred that it changed its name so that it would not be forever associated with the murders that took place there.
In 1924, at the age of 17, Gordon Stewart Northcott moved with his parents to Los Angeles, California from British Columbia, Canada. Two years later, nineteen-year-old Northcott asked his father to buy a piece of land for him in Wineville so that he could build a house and chicken ranch. Northcott asked his fifteen-year-old nephew, Sanford Clark, if he would help with the building of the ranch. Clark’s parents gave him permission to go to California from their home in Saskatchewan, Canada. After all, he would be in the protection of a loving family member…or so they thought. Little did they know what young Sanford Clark would endure during his time at his uncle’s chicken ranch.
Gordon Stewart Northcott
Nine-year-old, Walter Collins went missing on March 10, 1928 after his mother, Christine Collins, gave him money to go to the movie theater. A couple months later, on May 16, 1928 two brothers went missing on their way home from a Yacht Club meeting. Nelson Winslow was ten-years-old and his brother, Lewis, 12. A couple of bizarre letters were sent to the Winslow boys’ parents. One stated that they were going to Mexico, the other said they wanted to stay missing for as long as possible to gain fame. The authorities didn’t connect the two cases with one another. They also didn’t know that the headless body of a Latino boy found in February had a connection to these cases.
Historic Horrors 