Disappearance of Frank Howard

On August 6, 1896, 56-year-old Frank Howard would leave his home at 1043 South Hill St. in Los Angeles, California. He told his family that he was going on a business trip to San Bernardino and the desert. He was last seen by a friend standing on a street corner waiting for a street car, He was not seen since. 

Frank was an Attorney and was president of the Los Angeles County Board of Education and trustee of the county law library.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Metropolitan News-Enterprise September 12, 2006

Murder of Officer Neibert

 Around 2:30 am on June 13, 1896, 53-year-old officer Jacob Neibert was on duty in Muscatine, Iowa. On Burlington Rd Officer Neibert would come across two tramps. Around 6 shots would ring out in the night. Three shots would happen and then in a few minutes three more. gunshots were not uncommon enough to go check it out until H.J. Smith and his wife heard moans of help. 

H.J. would go out and ask "What's the trouble"? Officer Neibert would scream out "Jim! Oh, Jim! Come Help Me!" This was when they would find the police officer suffering from gunshot wounds. H.J. would run across the street to him.

He told of how two trams he tried to arrest had done it. He would give a description, but it was hard for him to speak as he continued to get weaker and weaker. H.J. would stand Officer Neibert up and try to walk him to his house. However, before they would make it there he would collapse to the ground. They would bring pillows and blankets to make him comfortable while waiting for help. The 15-year-old Smith's son would go and fetch a doctor. 

It was too late to save him. Other neighbors would come out to see the commotion. Soon after the Dr. got there Officer Neibert would take his last breath.

The nearby box car was investigated. This was where he was shot. there were five bullet holes in the boxcar. It seemed as if they were caused by two different caliber weapons. There was a lot of blood and evidence of a struggle inside. Officer Neigbert's club and gun both showed that it was used. 

It was apparent that one of the tramps had been injured. There was a significant amount of blood that led away from the scene that wasn't from Officer Neibert. The blood was traced all the way to the sash and door factory. A black soft felt hat was found at the scene likely belonging to one of the tramps. 

SOURCES:

Iowa Cold Cases

Muscatine

Officer Down Memorial Page

Iowa Cops

The Muscatine Journal June 16, 1896

Murder of Billy Stone

 

On December 11, 1914, 21-year-old Billy Stone was working at Whitby Junction in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. He was working as a telegraph operator. At 12:05 an accountant for the local asylum walking by. Billy had turned off the lights and the only one on was the one on his desk.

At 12:37 someone would enter Whitby Junction and shoot Billy in the chest. In his last moments, he would go to his desk and call the Bell Telephone Switchboard. Billy would tell them "I'm shot, I'm all done in". 

When law enforcement arrived Billy was dead. He had fallen backward onto the floor and the phone hung over the side. He had fallen from where he was standing and died. There was no gunshot powder on Billy's clothes meaning that he was shot from a distance. 

The scene was not displaced or anything. The killer did not seem to have stolen any money or objects from the station. There were no broken windows the only thing that was out of place was that the ticket window was closed and unlocked. It's believed that this was done after or during Billy's murder. It was also possible that since there was no struggle Billy was shot through the ticket window when it was open.

However, there was evidence that they had searched Billy's body as a bloody handprint was found on the side of a cabinet near the desk. The killer had used it to help stand up after getting Billy's blood on his hands. There was no way Billy made this print as there was almost no blood on his hands.  There was nothing in Billy's pockets and even his watch was missing. Strangely, Billy was robbed, but the station wasn't.

It's unknown who killed Billy, but there are a few motives. One was that Billy's father had killed him for money. His father was examined as a suspect. Feeling like he had become the main suspect in his son's murder he would end his life. He would lie on the tracks and be hit by a train.

A friend of  Billy's claimed that he thought that Italians had something to do with the murder. Another friend stated that he was not planning to marry and was talking to a woman at the time. It could be possible that it was because of a jealous lover.  It was also possible he was killed over a potential gambling debt. 

SOURCES:
Wikipedia

The Standard December 12, 1914

The Tronto Star December 14, 1914

The Province December 17, 1914

The Standard April 22, 1914

Unclaimed Persons: Velma Lasater

On December 10, 1929, Velma Lasater either died or her body was found in Boise, Idaho. Her name is known, but she was never claimed by her family.

Velma is a white female. She had grey or greying hair and blue eyes.

SOURCES:
NamUs

Disappearance of Columbus G. McLeod

In 1908, 62/63-year-old Columbus G. McLeod was a DeSoto County sheriff. On November 30th he carried out game law enforcement duties in Lee County, Florida. He was searching for egret hunters at Cayo Pelau Island. He was never seen again and it's presumed he was killed. 

His boat was found sunken with sand sacks tied to it. His hat was located nearby with two axe chips, blood, and hair. His body was however never recovered. 

SOURCES:
Officer Down Memorial Page

Find a Grave
International Missing Persons

November 15, 1880 Springfield, Missouri John Doe

On November 15, 1880, an unknown man would "drop dead" in or close to Springfield, Missouri. He would be buried at the Hazelwood Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri.

SOURCES:
Find a Grave

October 9, 1893 Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

On October 9, 1893, skeletal remains were found in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania near Wildwood. Two men hunting hops in a wooded area overgrown with brush would find the remains. That area was rarely used because of the brush. It was obvious that the man's body had been left there. He was lying straight with his arms by his sides. It was believed that he had been murdered around 6 months before. 

John Doe was believed to be around 40 years old. He was around 5'7" and 160 lbs. There was nothing left at the scene to identify him. 

I assume that in these news articles, they were the same remains as the areas are almost 10 miles apart and found on the same day. The remains were likely brought to Sharpsburg to be buried because they were a bigger community. I could be wrong though. 


SOURCES:
Find A Grave

Pittsburg Press October 10, 1893

Butler Citizen October 13, 1893

September 10, 1948 Abergavenny, Wales Two Skeletons

 On September 10, 1948, two skeletons were discovered while trying to make a foundation for a tennis court in Abergavenny, Wales. One of the skulls was first discovered, and the rest of the remains were found 2 feet below the surface. There was no evidence of this being a designated place for burial. The way the bones were found made it obvious that the two were buried as bodies and not as bones buried at a later time. The two were believed to have died no less than 10 to 15 years before, but it's also possible that they had been dead for hundreds of years.

The adult skeleton was believed to be a man between 40 to 70 years old.

The child was around 7 years old.

SOURCES:
Find a Grave (man)
Find a Grave (child)

August 6, 1818 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania John Doe

On August 6, 1818, a man died or was found dead in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is little information in this case. 

John Doe is a black male around 40-years-old.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

August 5, 1925 Palatka, Florida Wilbur Doe

On August 5, 1925, a man was picked up on the street by police in Palatka, Florida. He was acting in a crazed state. He was taken to the jail hospital and refused to give any information about himself other than his name being Wilbur. He would refuse to eat and this would result in him dying from starvation on August 30th. 

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Find a Grave

July 11, 1925 Easton, Pennsylvania John Doe

 On July 11, 1925, the body of a man was found floating in the Delaware Canal in Easton, Pennsylvania. It's believed that he died from an accidental drowning around a week before.

John Doe was a male around 25 years old. He had $100 and a revolver in his pockets. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

The Morning Call July 12, 1925

The Philadelphia Inquirer July 13, 1925