Tag: Indiana

Blindfolded, Bound, and Walked into Traffic: The Bizarre Death of Stephen Melkey

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?

Stephen Melkey
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Leslie “Mad Dog” Irvin, Serial Killer from the 1950s

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.

Leslie "Mad Dog" Irvin
Leslie “Mad Dog” Irvin
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Belle Gunness Wants Love, Only If You are Insured

Belle Gunness with her children.
Belle Gunness with her three children.

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.

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