Births
Frank Abbandando
1879 – Gaston Means – wasn’t your average criminal. This North Carolina native wore many hats throughout his life: private detective, salesman, bootlegger, and most notably, a con artist of remarkable skill. Means weaved a web of deceit that entangled him with some of the most powerful figures of the early 20th century. Born into a well-respected family, Means’ descent into chicanery began early. He dabbled in various professions before finding his true calling: manipulating people. Means possessed an uncanny ability to spin elaborate lies that seemed believable. J. Edgar Hoover himself called him “the most amazing figure in contemporary criminal history” for this very reason. Means’ cons thrived during the Prohibition era. He convinced bootleggers he had connections in high places, offering protection from the law for a hefty price. He even managed to leverage his supposed influence to swindle money from gangsters. Means’ ambition didn’t stop there. He somehow wormed his way into the circle of President Warren G. Harding. Through a series of fabricated stories and forged documents, Means implicated the President’s cabinet members in a bribery scandal. The scandal, though ultimately unfounded, tarnished Harding’s reputation and remains a dark stain on American history. Despite his notoriety, Means never quite achieved the level of wealth or power he craved. His schemes often unraveled, and he spent much of his later life entangled in legal battles. He even faced accusations of murder, though these were never proven. Gaston Means died in prison in 1938, leaving behind a legacy of deception and a cautionary tale about the allure and dangers of wielding lies as a weapon. While largely forgotten today, his story offers a glimpse into the dark underbelly of American politics and the lasting impact of a master con artist.
1910 – Frank Abbandando – a Brooklyn-born gangster nicknamed “The Dasher,” wasn’t known for speed on the track, but for his ruthlessness as a contract killer for Murder, Inc. This infamous gang orchestrated gangland killings in the early to mid-20th century. Born in 1910, Abbandando’s criminal path began young. By his teens, he was shaking down shopkeepers with threats of arson. As a young adult, he rose in the ranks of a Brooklyn street gang, eventually becoming lieutenant to another future Murder, Inc. member, Harry “Happy” Maione. Abbandando wasn’t just muscle, however. He ran gambling, loan sharking, and extortion rackets for the gang, all while carrying out deadly assignments. A 1928 assault on a police officer landed Abbandando in reform school, where he ironically earned his nickname “The Dasher” for his baseball skills. This dark twist foreshadowed his future as a killer. Joining Murder, Inc. cemented Abbandando’s reputation as a cold-blooded assassin. His weapon of choice: an ice pick to the heart. While the exact number of his victims remains unknown, it’s believed to be substantial. The tide turned in the early 1940s when authorities cracked down on Murder, Inc. Abbandando’s connection to the gang’s bosses ultimately led to his arrest and conviction for the murder of a Brooklyn loan shark. Sentenced to death, Abbandando met his end in the electric chair at Sing Sing prison in 1942. Frank Abbandando’s story serves as a stark reminder of the brutality of organized crime. His nickname “The Dasher” stands in chilling contrast to the violence he left behind.
1920 – James Wenneker Von Brunn – was a complex and disturbing figure. Born in 1920, his early life appeared successful. He attended Washington University in St. Louis, served his country as a Navy lieutenant in World War II, and even went on to have a prosperous career in advertising. However, beneath this veneer lay a dark side. Von Brunn became consumed by extremist views. He fell into the ideology of white supremacy and Holocaust denial. He actively associated with other anti-Semitic figures and created a website to propagate his hateful beliefs. In 2009, this hatred tragically manifested in violence. Von Brunn attacked the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, a place dedicated to honoring the victims of genocide. He opened fire, killing a security guard. He was apprehended by authorities and awaited trial. However, before facing justice, he died in prison in 2010.
1952 – Frederick Robert Klenner Jr – better known as Fritz Klenner, was the son of Dr. Frederick R. Klenner Sr., a physician known for his controversial use of megadose vitamin C therapy. Fritz gained notoriety in the 1980s as the prime suspect in a series of murders alongside his first cousin and lover, Susie Newsom Lynch. Born in 1952 in Rockingham, North Carolina, Fritz was the youngest of three children. Details about his childhood are limited, but sources suggest a troubled upbringing. His father’s unconventional medical practices and fascination with extremist ideologies reportedly influenced Fritz. School records show him as a bright student with a participation in various activities, but also a growing obsession with weaponry and military history. In 1969, his father enrolled him in a private academy in Georgia, likely to avoid racial integration efforts in public schools. In 1982, Fritz became romantically involved with his first cousin, Susie Lynch, who was recently divorced and embroiled in a custody battle. The following year, Susie’s mother, Delores, and her sister, Janie, were found murdered in Kentucky. Ballistics evidence linked the killings to a military-style rifle. Fritz’s increasingly erratic behavior and involvement with Susie drew suspicion. In 1984, Susie herself was found dead under suspicious circumstances. Fritz became the prime suspect in a murder spree, though he never faced trial. He died by suicide in 1985. Fritz Klenner Jr.’s story is a cautionary tale of a troubled individual and the dangers of extremism. The murders remain unsolved, and the full extent of his involvement is unknown. The case gained significant media attention due to the family’s prominent background and the sensational nature of the crimes. It’s a story explored in detail in the true-crime book “Bitter Blood”.
1957 – Anthony Guy Walker – is a convicted serial killer who terrorized Lenawee County, Michigan between the 1970s and 1980s. While details about his early life are scarce, public records reveal a history of violent crime prior to his known murders. Walker’s path of destruction began in 1975 with the murder of 24-year-old Arleen Salcedo. Her body was discovered, but the cause of death remained a mystery, leaving the case unsolved for years. In 1979, a particularly brutal triple homicide involving a young mother, her friend, and her infant child brought Walker under suspicion. However, a lack of concrete evidence kept this case cold as well. Decades passed with no answers for the victims’ families. Then, advancements in DNA technology provided a breakthrough. Investigators were finally able to connect Walker to the 1979 murders. This crucial link led to a confession from Walker, not only for the triple homicide, but for three additional killings. In 2010, at the age of 53, Anthony Guy Walker pleaded guilty for the 1979 murders and received three life sentences without the possibility of parole. Though Walker confessed to other murders, he has not faced further charges due to the existing life sentences. The case of Anthony Guy Walker serves as a chilling reminder of the persistence of evil and the power of forensic technology in bringing long-cold cases to a close.
1960 – Herbert A. Underwood – Kerry Golden first encountered Huffman at the 50 Yard Line Bar in Indianapolis, where they sat together. During this meeting, Golden openly displayed a significant amount of money and marijuana. Huffman’s longstanding friends, Herb Underwood and Rick Asbury joined them, and the group eventually closed down the bar. In the parking lot, they smoked marijuana before leaving in a car, with Huffman at the wheel, Underwood in the front, and Asbury and Golden in the back. The car came to a stop in a secluded area, where Underwood exited and forcibly pulled Golden out of the vehicle. Huffman and Underwood demanded that Golden surrender the marijuana before assaulting him, subjecting him to punches and kicks. They proceeded to strip him of his clothes, with Underwood even lifting Golden off the ground by grabbing his penis while he screamed in distress. Underwood then took money from Golden’s pants. Asbury, who had been in the back seat, joined in the assault by kicking Golden. When Huffman requested a knife, Asbury provided one, and Huffman issued a threat, warning Golden of dire consequences if he revealed the incident. Underwood, fearing identification and imprisonment, expressed the need to kill Golden. Huffman retrieved a tire iron from the car’s trunk, and together with Underwood, they continued the brutal assault on Golden. Underwood instructed Asbury to participate, and Asbury, testifying as the State’s key witness during the trial, admitted to striking Golden twice with the tire iron.
1965 – Michael Wayne McGray – is a convicted Canadian serial killer responsible for the murders of at least seven people across Canada between 1985 and 1998. He also confessed to additional killings, bringing the possible total to eleven, though these remain unproven. Born in Ontario, McGray grew up in Nova Scotia. His criminal activity began in his youth, and he drifted across Canada, often in and out of institutions. In 1985, the violence escalated when he murdered 17-year-old Elizabeth Gail Tucker in Nova Scotia. This crime went unsolved for months. Over the next decade, McGray continued to drift and kill. In 1998, the bodies of Joan Hicks and her 11-year-old daughter Nina were discovered in Moncton, New Brunswick. This led to McGray’s arrest. In exchange for better prison conditions, McGray confessed to the Hicks murders and a string of other killings across Canada, dating back to the 1980s. He offered his help to solve these cold cases, but authorities were wary, believing he might be manipulating them for personal gain. McGray was convicted of seven murders and sentenced to life in prison. Nicknamed the “Homicidal Drifter,” his case highlighted the challenges of tracking and apprehending mobile criminals. While some of his confessions remain unproven, Michael Wayne McGray holds a dark place in Canadian history.
1966 – William Darin Irvan – is a convicted criminal from Harris County, Texas. Born on July 11, 1966, Irvan was a childhood neighbor of Michele Denise Shadbolt. Their families were close, and Irvan grew up playing with Shadbolt and her siblings. On February 14, 1987, Shadbolt was found murdered in her home. She had been sexually assaulted and stabbed multiple times. Initially, the case went cold, but DNA evidence later linked Irvan to the crime. In 2003, he was convicted of Shadbolt’s murder and sentenced to death. Before his conviction, Irvan had a prior criminal record, including a two-year sentence for robbery. He worked in various jobs, including AC/refrigeration repair and as an electrician.
1970 – William Clifford Bryson – was involved in a notorious crime in Oklahoma in 1988. He was romantically involved with Marilyn Plantz, who conspired with him to murder her husband, James Plantz, to collect on a life insurance policy. Bryson and an accomplice, Clinton McKimble, ambushed and severely beat James Plantz with baseball bats before setting him and his truck on fire. Bryson was convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. He was executed by lethal injection on June 15, 2000. His case is often cited in discussions about the death penalty and its implications.
1972 – Vincent Christian Stopher – is known for his involvement in a tragic incident that occurred on March 10, 1997, in Jefferson County, Kentucky. On that day, Deputy Sheriff Gregory Hans was dispatched to Stopher’s residence following a disturbance report. During the encounter, Stopher managed to seize the deputy’s 9mm pistol and fatally shot him in the face. Stopher was subsequently convicted of murder and sentenced to death on March 23, 1998. In addition to the murder charge, he was also convicted of multiple counts of assault and wanton endangerment. His case has been a significant point of reference in discussions about law enforcement and the criminal justice system in Kentucky.
1972 – Alvin Leroy Morton – Late in the evening of January 26, 1992, or early the next morning, Alvin Morton, Bobby Garner, and Tim Kane entered the home of John Bowers and his mother, Madeline Weisser. Chris Walker and Mike Rodkey accompanied the three men but did not enter the residence. Morton was armed with a shotgun, while another man carried a large serrated knife. Once inside the living room, the men began searching for items to steal. Bowers and Weisser came into the room from another part of the house. Morton ordered them to lie on the floor. Bowers pleaded for his life, offering them whatever they wanted. Morton, however, was convinced that Bowers would call the police. Despite Bowers’ assurances to the contrary, Morton shot him in the back of the neck, killing him instantly. When Morton attempted to shoot Weisser, the gun jammed. He then tried to stab her, but the knife failed to penetrate. Garner intervened by stepping on the knife, forcing it in. Weisser was ultimately stabbed eight times in the back of the neck, severing her spinal cord and causing her death. Before leaving the home, either Garner or Morton cut off one of Bowers’ pinky fingers, which they later showed to a friend, Jeff Madden. Acting on a tip, police and firefighters arrived at the victims’ residence, finding mattresses set on fire and discovering the bodies. Morton was found hiding in his home’s attic, while the murder weapons were located under Garner’s mother’s trailer. Morton eventually confessed to shooting Bowers and participating in the initial stabbing of Weisser.
Deaths
Peter Manuel
1958 – Peter Manuel – was a Scottish-American serial killer who terrorized Lanarkshire and southern Scotland in the late 1950s. Though convicted of seven murders, he is believed to be responsible for as many as nine. Born in New York City to Scottish parents, Manuel’s family moved back to Scotland during his childhood. He struggled to fit in, facing bullying and exhibiting delinquent behavior by his early teens. By 16, he was already committing sexual assaults, landing him in prison for several years. Released in the early 1950s, Manuel embarked on a murderous rampage between 1956 and 1958. The press dubbed him the “Beast of Birkenshaw” as his victims, men, women, and children, seemed chosen at random. He often used a variety of methods, including strangulation, stabbing, and firearms. Manuel’s crimes sowed fear throughout Scotland. His capture in 1958 brought a sigh of relief, though the full extent of his killings remains unclear. He showed little remorse and even taunted police with cryptic messages. Tried and convicted, Manuel was hanged at Glasgow’s Barlinnie Prison in 1958, the second-to-last person executed there. Peter Manuel’s crimes stand out in Scottish history for their brutality and seeming randomness. He continues to fascinate and horrify, a chilling reminder of the darkness that can lurk beneath the surface.
2001 – James Joseph Wilkens Jr – was executed by lethal injection on July 11 in Huntsville, Texas, for the murder of a former girlfriend’s boyfriend and her son. In October 1986, Wilkens, then 25, moved out of the trailer of his girlfriend, Sandra Darlene Williams, 20, and her 4-year-old son, Larry Wayne McMillan Jr. Over the next two months, Williams began a relationship with Richard Allan Wood, 28, who had previously been Wilkens’ roommate. In December, Sandra Williams, Richard Wood, and Larry McMillan traveled to Oklahoma to spend Christmas with Wood’s family. Upon their return, Williams carried her son inside and placed him on the couch near the front door. While Wood remained outside, Williams went into the bathroom. There, she was confronted by Wilkens, who had broken in and was waiting with a .22 semiautomatic rifle. She ran screaming towards the front door. Wood, who was entering the trailer at that moment, told her to run for help. Wilkens shot Wood at the front door and then shot Williams in the back as she ran out. He then turned the gun on Larry McMillan, who was still on the couch, and shot him thirteen times. Richard Wood and 4-year-old Larry McMillan died at the scene. At the time of the shooting, Wilkens was on parole for robbery.
2006 – Sean Derrick O’Brien – was a convicted murderer who was executed by lethal injection in Texas. He was one of six members of a Houston street gang involved in the brutal rape and murder of two teenage girls, Elizabeth Peña and Jennifer Ertman, on June 24, 1993. O’Brien, who was 18 at the time of the crime, had a history of criminal behavior, including arrests for shoplifting, assault, and auto theft. The case gained significant media attention due to the horrific nature of the crime and the subsequent legal battles, including international attempts to halt the executions.
2007 – Elijah Page – was born in Titusville, Florida. He had a troubled childhood, marked by instability and deprivation, often living in abandoned buildings without basic utilities. Page became infamous for his involvement in the brutal murder of Chester Allan Poage on March 13, 2000, in Spearfish, South Dakota. Along with Briley Piper and Darrell Hoadley, Page kidnapped, tortured, and murdered Poage. The crime was particularly heinous, involving physical assault, forced ingestion of harmful substances, and ultimately, stabbing. Page was sentenced to death for his role in the murder and was executed by lethal injection on July 11, 2007. His execution marked the first in South Dakota since 1947.
Events
El Chapo
1656 – The first Quakers to land in America (Boston), Englishwomen Ann Austin & Mary Fisher are arrested and jailed by the Puritan Colonial Government. After 5 years imprisonment, they are deported back to Barbados
1804 – Vice president of the US Aaron Burr mortally wounds former secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton in a pistol duel
1906 – The Gillette-Brown murder inspires Theodore Dreiser’s “An American Tragedy”
1990 – New York City police arrest “Dartman” who had stabbed over 50 women with darts
2015 – Mexican drug lord “El Chapo” escapes from Altiplano maximum security prison, west of Mexico City via a specially constructed 1.5km tunnel from his cell to a nearby house