Murder of Lenore Cohn and Charles Murray

    

On March 19, 1915, little 5-year-old Lenore Cohen was seen in the Tenement building she lived on 3rd Ave. in Manhattan, New York by a neighbor. She smiled and showed the milk and candy she had. Her Aunt Mrs. Eckers asked the young girl to go on an errand to get milk for her. Leonore was excited as a penny was usually a reward.

 Ms. Augusta Johnson lived on the second floor. She heard a small cry outside her door 15 minutes after the other neighbor saw her. She opened the door and saw nothing, but stumbled over Leonore when she stepped out the door. The murderer probably heard Augusta's screams as it had aroused everyone in the Tenement. Leonore was still alive at this point. and was carried up to the third floor where her aunt lived. Her cousin tried to resuscitate her as she was foaming from the mouth, but she did not survive.

She had been hacked at with a knife. She had also been "criminally assaulted" possibly meaning molested. A later article states that her clothes were unbuttoned. There were finger marks on her throat. There were two sets of stairs in the building and Leonore didn't typically use the ones she was found on. Police believed that the murderer forced her to the area she was found. There was a cord found with grey hairs and is unknown if it was a part of the case.

It was brought to the police's attention that girls on 3rd Avenue have been harassed by an oldish guy who offered to buy them candy if they go with them.

Less than two months later on the night of May 3, 1915, 4-year-old Charles Murray was playing in behind the Tenement building he lived in on First Ave. in the East side of Manhattan, in New York. He was last seen alive 20 minutes before he was discovered. His 6-year-old sister walked into the hallway and saw a "foreign man" leaving it in a hurry. Shortly after she found her brother.

There are two gruesome crime scene photos. I will not post it as it shows the boy's intestines, but it's obvious whoever murdered him gutted him. It's described that the perpetrator hacked at the boy. His clothes were left unscathed from knife marks as the perpetrator unbuttoned his shirt before killing him. Just like the murderer of Lenora had. One article notes that a piece of the body was taken.

Several letters were sent to the mother of Leonore. The writer claimed to be the killer and boasted of his crimes stating the Eckard's (relatives of theirs) knew of the murders. The letters were signed with H.B. Richmond, Jack the Ripper. It was later found that a man named Edward Richmond had written the letters and was likely not the perpetrator. 

A letter was also sent to Mrs. Murray, but it seems to have been written by a different person. This letter claimed they were going to continue their crimes. 

There were several suspects, but none of them were convicted of the crime.


SOURCES:

Find a Grave (Lenore)
Find a Grave (Charles)

Case Book

New York Tribune March 20 1915

Chronicling America March 20, 1915

The Brooklyn Citizen March 21, 1915
Buffalo Courier March 22, 1915
New York Tribune March 20, 1915
Wilkes-Barre Semi-Weekly Record May 7, 1915
Evening Public Ledger May 6, 1915
The Washington Post May 9, 1915
Daily News May 16, 1915