Births
Michael James Hayward
1838 – Paul Mauser – was a German weapon designer and industrialist who left an undeniable mark on firearms history. Born into a family of gunsmiths, Mauser’s passion for firearms was evident from a young age. Alongside his brother Wilhelm, Paul Mauser made significant contributions to the development of the bolt-action rifle. Their designs culminated in the Mauser Model 1871, the first of a long line of successful Mauser rifles adopted by the German military. This innovative design marked a shift from single-shot black powder rifles to the metallic cartridge weapons that dominated the battlefield for decades to come. Mauser’s company, Mauser, continued to refine the bolt-action concept. Their most famous creation, the Gewehr 98 and its derivative, the Karabiner 98k, became the standard rifles for German forces in World War I and World War II. The Mauser bolt-action design, known for its durability, safety, and efficiency, was adopted and copied by numerous countries around the world. Paul Mauser’s legacy extends far beyond the battlefields of the 20th century. His innovative designs remain the foundation for many modern bolt-action hunting rifles, a testament to his enduring influence on the world of firearms.
1902 – Frederick Edward Francis Bywaters – is remembered not for his own life, but for his entanglement in a notorious murder case. His involvement with Edith Thompson led to their convictions for the murder of her husband, Percy, in 1922. Unfortunately, details about Bywaters’ life beyond this tragic event are scarce. Born in 1902, he likely grew up during a tumultuous time in British history, marked by World War I. We don’t know much about his profession, family background, or personal life before meeting Edith Thompson. Bywaters’ story becomes intertwined with Edith’s in 1916 when their paths cross. Their passionate but ultimately destructive relationship became the centerpiece of the murder trial. The prosecution heavily relied on their intimate letters, which expressed desires for a life together, to paint Bywaters as a manipulative figure and Edith as a complicit wife. Despite their convictions, questions linger about Bywaters’ direct involvement in the murder itself. Some believe he may have been a patsy, drawn into the situation by a more forceful Edith. However, the evidence presented at the trial sealed their fates. Both Bywaters and Edith Thompson were executed in 1923. The case captured the public’s imagination, sparking debates about love, infidelity, and the justice system. While Bywaters may have lived a relatively obscure life, his association with this infamous crime ensures his name remains forever linked to the tragic story of Edith Thompson.
1943 – Ismo Junni – was a Finnish serial killer and arsonist who instilled fear in Helsinki during the latter half of the 20th century. Born in 1943, Junni’s details remain obscure. What is known is that his crimes were concentrated around the Kivinokka summer camp area in Herttoniemi, Helsinki. A defining characteristic of his brutality was the removal of his victim’s teeth, leading to the moniker “The Tooth Killer”. In 1990, a twist of fate led to Junni’s downfall. A son, troubled by his suspicions about his mother’s death years prior, contacted the police. This reopened a long-closed investigation and unraveled a series of murders. The investigation revealed that Junni wasn’t just a murderer, but also an arsonist, with some fires potentially linked to his killings. The exact number of Junni’s victims is debated, with estimates ranging from five confirmed to a possibly higher number. Though not officially classified as a serial killer in all sources, the multiple murders and signature element of collecting teeth solidify his place as a horrific figure in Finnish history. Junni died in prison in 1995, leaving behind a legacy of fear and a reminder of the darkness that can lurk beneath the surface.
1948 – Rodney Halbower – the “San Mateo Slasher”, is an American serial killer responsible for at least two murders in the Gypsy Hill killings, a series of attacks on young women in California and Nevada during 1976. Though suspected of involvement in five deaths, Halbower has only been definitively linked to three. He currently serves two life sentences without the possibility of parole. With little known about his early life, Halbower emerged as a suspect in the Gypsy Hill killings thanks to advancements in DNA technology that connected him to the crimes in 2004, while he was already serving a life sentence in Oregon for another offense. Following a trial, he was convicted in 2018 of two of the Gypsy Hill murders and sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
1949 – Mark Alan Smith – is known as an American serial killer. He was convicted for the murders of at least four women in Illinois and Arkansas during the 1960s. For these crimes, he was sentenced to 500 years’ imprisonment. Smith’s early life was marked by a troubled childhood. His parents, marine Charles Gilbert Smith and Delores Rechlin, separated when he was around 2 to 3 years old. He grew up in McHenry County, Illinois, after his mother remarried and moved the family there. Smith had issues with anger and adjustment, which led to him returning to Chicago. He exhibited violent tendencies from a young age, attempting to strangle a female classmate and stabbing a playmate with a pen knife. In 1966, Smith was enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War and was stationed in West Germany. During his time there, he was court-martialed for assaulting four African-American colleagues. Smith later confessed to killing eight women while stationed in West Germany, for which he was never prosecuted. Authorities believe he could be involved in other murders, both in the USA and overseas. Smith’s victims included Obie Fay Ash, a 32-year-old woman from Cotter, whom he abducted, raped, strangled, and stabbed on December 3, 1969. Another victim was Jean Bianchi, a 27-year-old housewife and mother of two from McHenry, who was last seen at a local laundromat on Elm Street on January 27, 1970. Smith is currently serving his sentence at the Danville Correctional Center. His crimes have earned him the monikers “The State’s Forgotten Serial Killer” and “Remington Steele”.
1949 – Norio Nagayama – was a Japanese spree killer and novelist. Born in Abashiri, Hokkaido, Nagayama grew up with divorced parents. He moved to Tokyo in 1965 and, while working in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, witnessed the Zama and Shibuya shootings. Between October 11 and November 5, 1968, Nagayama killed four people with a handgun. He robbed the last two victims of 16,420 yen. He was arrested on April 7, 1969. At the time of his arrest, he was 19 years old and was regarded as a minor under Japanese law. The Tokyo District Court sentenced him to death in 1979, though this was overturned by the Tokyo High Court, which imposed a sentence of life imprisonment in 1981. The Supreme Court of Japan reversed the high court’s decision in 1983. This ruling is today considered the landmark decision for the application of the death penalty in Japan. The high court on remand subsequently sentenced him to death in 1987, a decision which the Supreme Court upheld in 1990. In prison, Nagayama wrote many novels and became a public figure. His first published work was Tears of Ignorance (無知の涙, Muchi no Namida) in 1971. In 1983, he was awarded a prize for the novel Wooden Bridge (木橋, Kibashi). The Japanese writing community was uneasy with his success, given his status as a convicted killer. He was rejected by the Japan Writers’ Association but did receive recognition in Saarland, Germany in 1996. On August 1, 1997, he was executed at the Tokyo Detention Center at the age of 48. He made no final statement. A foundation to save poor people was established by his will.
1951 – Leonard John Fraser – also known as “The Rockhampton Rapist,” was a notorious Australian serial killer. Fraser’s criminal history began early, marked by petty theft and violence. It wasn’t until the 1970s that his crimes escalated to brutal rape. He spent much of the next two decades in and out of prison for these offenses. In 1999, Fraser’s crimes took a horrific turn. He abducted, raped, and murdered a nine-year-old girl in Rockhampton, Queensland. This case finally brought him to justice, and he received a life sentence. While imprisoned, Fraser confessed to the murders of four other women. These confessions, along with additional charges, resulted in multiple life sentences. Fraser died in prison in 2007 from a heart attack.
1970 – Brian L. Rooney – He is a former construction worker who came into the public eye due to his involvement in a tragic crime. In 2006, Rooney was convicted of the abduction and murder of 21-year-old college student Michelle Gardner-Quinn, a senior at the University of Vermont, located in Burlington, Vermont. The case received significant media attention due to its shocking nature and the extensive search for Gardner-Quinn before the discovery of her body. On October 17, 2008, Rooney was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
1975 – Michael James Hayward – In 1994, Hayward and three associates were found guilty of the tragic killing of a convenience store clerk and the brutal assault of another. Frances Wall tragically lost her life after sustaining a fatal injury, while Donna Ream miraculously survived despite enduring over 50 blows with a metal bar and a significant loss of blood. Hayward’s three associates were convicted of murder. Interestingly, the group orchestrated the attack while listening to death metal tracks including “Hammer Smashed Face,” “Meat Hook Sodomy,” and “Gutted.”
Deaths
Muriel Drinkwater
1935 – Eva Coo – born Eva Curry on June 17, 1889, in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada, was an infamous figure in American history. As a teenager, she moved to Toronto, where she met and married William Coo. The couple moved to upstate New York in 1921. Eva Coo was a businesswoman who managed to buy property and run a successful business during the Great Depression. She owned a bar in Oneonta, a small city in Otsego County, New York. Known as “Eva’s Place,” it was a popular stopover for truck drivers, railroad employees, college students, and construction workers. However, Eva Coo’s life took a dark turn when she was entrusted with the care of one of her employees, a handyman named Henry Wright, after the death of Wright’s mother. Coo embezzled Wright’s inheritance, burned down his house for insurance money, and purchased several life insurance policies on Wright. On June 14, 1934, Eva Coo and another employee, Martha Clift, drove Wright to an isolated location outside Oneonta. There, it is alleged that Eva hit him with a mallet and Martha ran over him with a car. They dumped his body beside a road to simulate a hit-and-run accident. The police suspected homicide, and Clift confessed after an interrogation. She was convicted of second-degree murder and served thirteen years in prison, while Coo received a death sentence. Eva Coo was executed by electric chair at Sing Sing Prison on June 27, 1935.
1946 – Muriel Drinkwater – was born on July 19, 1933, in Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales. She was the youngest of four daughters born to John Percival and Margaret (née Morgans) Drinkwater. Muriel was a 12-year-old schoolgirl who attended Gowerton Grammar School. She was also a member of the Nightingale Patrol of the Girl Guides and intended to go to university. Tragically, Muriel’s life was cut short on June 27, 1946. Known as the Little Red Riding Hood murder, this unsolved child murder case from Wales is one of the oldest active cold cases in the United Kingdom. Muriel was last seen singing as she walked along the mile-long path to her home after getting off a school bus. The next day, her body was found in the woods. She had been brutally raped, battered around the head, and shot twice. Despite extensive investigations and interviews with thousands of men, the case remains unsolved. In 2008, a DNA profile of the suspect was extracted from her clothes, possibly the oldest sample in the world to be successfully extracted in a murder investigation. This evidence was used in 2019 to rule out notorious Welsh murderer Harold Jones as a suspect. Muriel Drinkwater’s story is a poignant reminder of the importance of justice and the enduring mystery of unsolved cases. Her memory continues to live on, and the quest for answers in her case continues even today.
1991 – Klas Bruinsma – was a major Dutch drug lord. He was known as “De Lange” (“The Tall One”) and also as “De Dominee” (“The Reverend”) because of his black clothing and his habit of lecturing others. Born in Amsterdam, Bruinsma was the second child of Anton Bruinsma, a Dutch entrepreneur, and Gwendolyn Theresa Mary Kelly, a British homemaker. His parents divorced when he was seven years old, and from that point forward, his father’s housekeeper took over the responsibilities of raising Klaas and his siblings. Klaas’ father was the founder of the Dutch soda drink manufacturer Raak. During his high school years, Bruinsma started using hashish and later selling it himself. He was arrested for the first time in 1970 at the age of sixteen. In 1974, he opted to forgo attending college in order to dedicate himself to the drug trade full-time. Thea Moear became his main business partner and together they set up an organization. While Bruinsma was mainly involved with the purchase, transport, and distribution of the merchandise, Moear managed the finances. In 1976, Bruinsma was convicted but was later released in 1977. Upon his release, he changed his identity to Frans van Arkel, nicknamed Lange Frans. He also hired professional kickboxer André Brilleman as his head of security and personal bodyguard after his release from prison. In 1978, he hired Etienne Urka as an extra bodyguard. Urka would later go on to become second in command and Bruinsma’s right-hand man. By this time, Bruinsma expanded his smuggling operations branching out to Germany, Belgium, France, and Scandinavia. In 1979, Bruinsma was convicted once again, this time for organizing a large hashish transport from Pakistan. He was released in 1982. Bruinsma was shot dead on 27 June 1991 by organized crime member and former police officer Martin Hoogland. He was involved in a verbal argument with Hoogland in front of the Amsterdam Hilton hotel at 4 a.m. that morning. Hoogland was murdered in 2004 in prison.
1993 – Wolfgang Grams – was a notable figure in German history due to his involvement with the Red Army Faction (RAF), a far-left terrorist organization that was active from 1970 to 1998. Born in Wiesbaden, Germany, Grams was the son of Werner and Ruth Grams, who were expelled from the east. His father volunteered for service in the Waffen-SS. During his younger years, Grams demonstrated against the Vietnam War. He lived in a commune and was given the nickname Gaks. After the arrest of Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin, he started visiting RAF prisoners in jail. He found the conditions of solitary confinement inhumane. Grams’ name was found in a notebook of an RAF terrorist who was killed during an arrest attempt. He was kept in custody for 153 days, but was given remuneration in 1980. He then met Birgit Hogefeld, and they began dating and moved in together. From 1984 on, he lived underground. Later DNA evidence connects Gram to the killing of Detlev Karsten Rohwedder in 1991. On June 27, 1993, members of the GSG 9, the counter-terrorism and special operations unit of the German Federal Police (BKA), were assigned to arrest Grams and Hogefeld at the train station in Bad Kleinen. Instead, Grams pulled a gun and shot two BKA officers, including one, Michael Newrzella, fatally. Officers were quoted as saying they saw Grams “suddenly fall backward” off the station platform and onto the track. Either before or after he fell, he allegedly shot himself in the head rather than be taken alive. He was taken to the Medizinische Universität zu Lübeck by helicopter where he died from his wounds a few hours later. Grams’ death, officially while resisting arrest, caused a major political scandal and the circumstances continue to be debated. Interior Minister Rudolf Seiters took responsibility for the poor conducting and postprocessing of the operation and resigned in July of the year, as well as Chief Federal Prosecutor, Alexander von Stahl.
2001 – Udo Proksch – was an Austrian businessman and industrialist. He was born in Rostock, Germany and died in Graz, Austria. Proksch was known for his diverse occupations, including being a businessperson, designer, and restaurateur. He was also the owner of the famous Viennese confectioners’ Demel. However, Proksch’s life took a dark turn when he was convicted of the murder of six people as part of a major insurance fraud. In 1977, the ship Lucona sank in the Indian Ocean after an explosion, killing six people. Proksch, the owner of the cargo, claimed US$ 20 million from his insurance company, saying that the ship was carrying expensive uranium mining equipment. Fraud was suspected, but investigations were obstructed by powerful Austrian politicians who were friends of Proksch. In 1988, Proksch fled to the Philippines after Hans Pretterebner published a book about the scandal. He returned to Vienna in 1989, incognito, but was recognized and arrested. In 1991, he was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. A year later, the sentence was increased to a lifelong term in prison. Proksch died in prison. An interesting fact, Proksch was the first husband of the actress Daphne Wagner, daughter of Wieland Wagner, great-granddaughter of the composer Richard Wagner and great-great-granddaughter of Franz Liszt
2001 – James Lowery – Mark and Gertrude Thompson, both 80 years old and in declining health, were tragically found shot to death in their home in West Point, Indiana, where they resided in need of assistance. Previously, the Thompsons had employed caretakers, including Lowery and his wife, but were dissatisfied with their services and asked them to leave. Lowery, discontented and seeking money, confided in his friend Jim Bennett about robbing the Thompsons. On September 30, 1979, Bennett drove Lowery to the Thompsons’ residence, where Lowery intended to coerce Mark Thompson into writing a $9,000 check before killing both elderly residents. Upon arrival, Lowery, armed with a pistol and sawed-off shotgun, forcefully entered the residence, encountering Janet Brown, the housekeeper, in her adjacent trailer. Lowery compelled Brown to accompany him inside the Thompsons’ home, where he confronted Mark Thompson in the kitchen and shot him in the stomach. He then brought Mrs. Thompson into the kitchen and fatally shot her in the head. Brown, caught in the violence, sustained injuries but survived. As a burglar alarm sounded, Lowery, in a panic, returned to Mr. Thompson and fatally shot him in the head before fleeing the scene. Lowery’s admission of guilt during the penalty phase, along with Bennett’s cooperation and testimony, led to legal proceedings resulting in Lowery’s sentencing to death on January 7, 1983, following a tumultuous trial process marked by reversals and retrials.
2002 – Richard Evonitz – was an American serial killer, kidnapper, and rapist. He was responsible for the deaths of at least three teenage girls in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and the abduction and rape of 15-year-old Kara Robinson in Richland County, South Carolina. Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963, in Columbia, South Carolina, to Joseph and Tess Evonitz. He was the first and only male of three children; two sisters, Kristen and Jennifer, followed him. His childhood was marked by a dysfunctional family environment, with his parents separating when he was a baby and again when he was 12. His father was an alcoholic who frequently belittled his family. After graduating from Irmo High School in 1980 at age 16, Evonitz worked briefly as the manager of a Jiffy Lube, before joining the United States Navy. He served as a sonar technician and received a Good Conduct Medal before being honorably discharged after eight years of service. Evonitz’s criminal history began in 1987 with a conviction for lewd exposure. He later became a serial killer, responsible for the deaths of at least three teenaged girls in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. He also abducted and raped 15-year-old Kara Robinson in Richland County, South Carolina. Evonitz has been suspected of other murders and confessed a number of crimes to his sister shortly before committing suicide. Evonitz was married twice, first to Bonnie Lou Gower (1988–1996), and then to Hope Marie Crowley (1999–2002). His wives reported that he experienced nightmares about his father. Evonitz died on June 27, 2002, in Sarasota, Florida. The cause of death was suicide by gunshot.
2005 – Domino Harvey – was an English bounty hunter in the United States. She was born in Hammersmith, London to the actor Laurence Harvey and fashion model Paulene Stone. After Laurence Harvey died of cancer in 1973, Stone raised Domino in Belgravia, a very affluent area of London. As a girl, Harvey was a tomboy and enjoyed playing with action figures. She later recalled that she studied martial arts and frequently fought other children. She attended four boarding schools, including Dartington Hall and Frensham Heights, and was expelled from some of them. Harvey dropped out of school as a teenager to pursue a career in modelling but did not enjoy it. She later claimed to have attended the Lee Strasberg Institute and been represented by the Ford Modeling Agency. Harvey studied sound engineering and worked as a DJ at several clubs in London, managing one of them. Around that time, she lived in Notting Hill and also designed and sold T-shirts at Kensington Market, London. At age 19, after spending time on a kibbutz in Israel, Harvey moved to Southern California, where her mother had relocated years earlier after marrying the American businessman Peter Morton. In California, Harvey initially started working as a DJ at clubs in Los Angeles. She then worked on a ranch near San Diego and served as a volunteer firefighter in Boulevard, California. At that time, her friends trained her in the use of firearms. After serving as a volunteer firefighter for a year, Harvey trained as an EMT and took courses in fire science. In 1993, she unsuccessfully applied to the Los Angeles Fire Department and then enrolled in a short course to become a bail recovery agent or bounty hunter. After completing a bail recovery agent training course, Harvey began working with the teacher of the course, Ed Martinez, at a bail bond agency in South Los Angeles run by Celes King III. Harvey’s fame was increased posthumously by the 2005 release of the film Domino, which was loosely based on her life, in which Harvey was portrayed by Keira Knightley. She passed away on 27 June 2005 due to a Fentanyl overdose.
2006 – Angel Maturino Resendiz – also known as “The Railroad Killer”, was a notorious Mexican serial killer. He was born on August 1, 1959, in Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla, Mexico. Reséndiz was suspected of committing as many as 23 murders across the United States and Mexico during the 1990s. His crimes were primarily committed near railroads, earning him the moniker “The Railroad Killer”. He used this method of transportation to travel around the country, often jumping off trains to evade authorities. His criminal methodology involved illegally crossing borders and using various aliases, with Rafael Resendez-Ramirez being the most commonly used. He was known for his brutal methods, often killing his victims with rocks, a pickaxe, or other blunt objects, primarily in their homes. He would often linger in the homes after the murders, taking sentimental items and learning about his victims’ lives. Reséndiz was listed as the 457th fugitive on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on June 21, 1999. He surrendered to Texas authorities on July 13, 1999, and was subsequently convicted of capital murder. He was executed by lethal injection on June 27, 2006.
Events
Susan Curtis
1652 – New Amsterdam (now New York City) enacts the first speed limit law in North America
1844 – Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement & his brother Hyrum are killed by a mob at the Carthage Illinois jail
1857 – James Donnelly becomes engaged in a drunken brawl with Patrick Farrell who suffers a fatal blow to the head. Farrell dies two days later which makes James Donnelly a wanted man & draws the Donnelly family into the notorious feud
1942 – The FBI captures 8 Nazi saboteurs from a submarine off New York’s Long Island
1975 – Susan Curtis went missing and was suspected to have been murdered by Ted Bundy
1995 – Members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult release Sarin gas in Matsumoto, Japan. 7 people were killed and 660 injured
2017 – A helicopter with a rogue police pilot attacks the Venezuelan Supreme Court in Caracas
