Recent Comments

My Photo

A Gruesome, Bloody, Awful, Indefensible Halloween Scavenger Hunt

I confess to the ultimate true crime guilty pleasure: the Yahoo Group Crime Challenge: Gacy

Are you interested in Lizzie Borden, the Lindbergh kidnapping and the Sam Sheppard case? Our members takes turns presenting challenges for the rest of the group to solve. Sometimes we work in teams. Come and join our scavenger hunts where we search for and share info about hundreds of crimes and deaths, both famous and obscure.

The ghoulish wits behind the Crime Challenge group have assembled a devil of a true crime quiz to mark the day.

If, in assembling your answers to this scavenger hunt, you come across three or more sites that you have already bookmarked, then you read way too much true crime, friend.

***

Welcome to the 2006 Halloween Scavenger Hunt!

Rules and Guidelines:  Below you will find 25 questions, worth one point a piece, plus a Bonus worth up to ten points. Sources/links for your answers, when not specifically requested, are not required but appreciated. Remember, if you play, do not post your answers to the list! Please include all of your answers, in order, in one private E-mail to Chele and Rachael: Chele Gia0209 ~AT~aol.com Rachael rachael27 ~AT~ earthlink.net

DEADLINE -- Answers are due by Sunday, November 5 by noon, PST. Good luck! Have fun!

1. This German serial killer was reputedly the first interviewed in depth by a psychiatrist. What did he answer when asked if he had any regrets about his life and the vicious murders he committed. (Give the quote.)

2. Although not sorry about any of the thousands of crimes he takes credit for -- including having fed the body parts of six of his twenty-one murder victims to crocodiles -- this killer apparently did have at least one regret in life. Give the quote where he said what it was.

3. Find a picture of one of this California shutterbug's famous photos which he took of his terrified victims before he killed them.

4. Give the text of the partly type-written, partly hand-written letter this mass murderer left beside his wife's body before setting off on his infamous shooting rampage.

5. This Mexican-born actor survived the conversion from silent movies to "talkies" but did not survive the two house guests whom he invited in one evening in 1968. Find a picture of his Frank Lloyd Wright home in which he was tortured and found murdered on Halloween.

6. This serial killer was sent to Death Row himself for the murder of a Death Row inmate. His numerous attempts of poisoning the inmate failed but his constructed bomb didn't. Know who he is? Good! Find a picture of his vehicle and tell what the sign on the back of it said.

7. The dog made me do it, the dog made me do it!! So this serial killer claimed. Find a picture of the parking ticket which led to his identification and conviction.

8. Find a picture of the first missing person to appear on a milk carton.

9. One of the nights this sadistic serial killer duo chose to hunt their unfortunate prey was Halloween night of 1979. Find a picture of the inside of the vehicle that they used for their crimes.

10. One of the killers in the preceding question often signs his letters from CA's Death Row with the name of a tool. Find a picture of one of these tools.

11. The partner of the killer in the preceding question not only caused nightmares but apparently has had a few of his own. Find a drawing of one he sketched.

12. This list-making serial killer not only kept a cryptic list referring to his victims, he also keeps a list of the CDs he has in his California Death Row cell. (He's only allowed to have twelve at a time.) Find his list on which he designates what he's got and which ones he's willing to trade.

13. This serial killer has been accused of a lot of things but being a bad cook isn't one of them! In fact one of his/her former tenants claimed that "Every Dinner at ________'s was like Thanksgiving Dinner!" Wonder if s/he has a good pumpkin pie recipe! Find a picture of this killer's cookbook.

14. In July 1984 the patrons of a California fast food restaurant found they had chosen to eat at the same time a mass murderer had decided to make his last stand. Find a link to the denied March employment application which may have helped set him off.

15. One of three convicted for the May 5, 1993 rape/murder of three little boys, Jessie Misskelley gave a description of what happened that day during his post-conviction ride to prison to serve out his sentence. What did the Deputy report that Misskelley answered when he was asked how the three young victims were kept under control while being raped and not tied yet. (Give the quote.)

16. Drawings of three cannibalistic serial killers (one departed life in 1936 and the other two in 1994) grace the front of a "loving" greeting card. Find a picture of it.

17. The judge in this 1997 case must have thought the second degree murder conviction (with mandatory life sentence) was some sort of early Halloween joke or something for he reduced it to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced the defendant to time served (279 days) and released him (or her). Find a picture of the victim.

18. He confessed to murdering seven people, including five prostitutes the police did not previously suspect him of killing. Want to hear and see his confession? All you need to do is purchase the DVD from his DAD!! Give his link and the bank routing number where we can send our bank wires.

19. After 30 years of silence, this now-convicted serial killer suddenly resurfaced in 2004. Find a picture of the driver's license he mailed to a local newspaper.

20. Give the text of the wacky poem the killer in the above question wrote to or about one of his victims.

21. Find a facsimile of the signature or "logo" that the killer in the above two questions designed for himself.

22. As though out of a horror flick, on Halloween night in 2004, two young woman were slashed to death in California as a third roommate listened downstairs in terror and tried to summon help. Find a picture of a package of cigarettes, the brand which brought a confession in this case.

23. The longest-incarcerated inmate in the State Pen of this western state died earlier this year, presumably of natural causes. Find a picture of the cover of the book Anne Rule wrote about him.

24. This mystery rider exited singing when he was recently executed in Florida. Give the text of his death warrant.

25. Find a picture representing the last meal of an executed prisoner who hoped that the choice would mean that a tree would grow from his body.

BONUS Let's have a Halloween party! You are the host/hostess. Your guests are all the killers you want to invite, although no blood will be spilt at this party. The more guests on your list, the more points you will get, with guest lists compared and ten points given to the host with the biggest party. Easy! Oh, there's just one little rule. Your guests must come in costume. To get your guests counted, please show a picture of each one and include his or her name and what ! ;s/he is dressed as. For instance, we suppose this killer will be invited to everyone's party so you may want to start your list thusly: Guest #1: John Wayne Gacy, dressed as Pogo the Clown

HINT FOR BONUS: Assume your guests will not know anyone else at the party, so they could even wear their work clothes and might be in costume for all anyone else knows. For instance, say one of your guests is a train conductor. Just find a picture of him or her in conductor's uniform and add him to your guest list!

A tough quiz

So I belong to this group of people who quiz one another on their knowledge of true crime cases. If you are interested in joining, send me an email. The rest of you can stop laughing now.

So this Brit in the club comes up with the hardest stumper of a quiz. I don't know a one of these. And I've only got until the end of the World Cup to find the answers. Will you send me the answer after Germany has clinched it? If you know ONE, I'll be mightily impressed.

******

1 - This killer didnt use a club to beat anyone to death

    Nor did he bludgeon anyone with a spade
    But he did commit suicide with the remainder after being found guilty of murder
    Who is the killer?    5 pts
2 - This technique of forensic science made its first mark in the UK in 1905, following the conviction of 2 brothers in the murder of a paint shop manager and his wife Ann who lived above the shop.
    Who were the killers?    3 pts
    What was the technique used?    2 pts
3 - In March 1966, London sporting chiefs were left in a pickle following the theft of an important statue. It was more than 1 pickle and several days later when the prize was recovered and presented 4 months later to the home team.
    Who found the statue?    2 pts
4 - This trucker was a multiple killer
    Who couldnt be called humble
    Poor George believed the voice
    Because of that he took a tumble
    More women were killed
    An all time police bumble
    Who is the killer?    2 pts
    What was written in his cab? 3 pts
5 - Despite not raining, the killers' protection was critical in the 1978 death of a BBC worker at a bus-stop in central London.
    What happened?    2 pts
    Who was the killer?    3 pts
6 - During an execution,
A - What would 'Danced at the Sheriff's ball and lolld his tongue out at the company' mean?    1 pt
B - What is the 'Paddington frisk'?    1pt
C - Where is the 'Haltering Place'?    1pt

A Curious Coincidence

The amateur criminologist may know what these seven infamous murderers had in common -- the biographical detail shared by all. Do you know the answer to the riddle? (Hint: # 6 may well be a giveaway.)

Crippen_1 1. Dr. Harvey Crippen, who murdered his wife in London, then fled the country with his mistress. He was executed for the crime. (Clews has the story of how Dr. Crippen was caught.)

2. Herman Mudgett, M.D., a/k/a Dr. H.H. Holmes, Chicago's “torture doctor,” America’s “first” serial killer, who was also executed.Mudgett

3. Richard Loeb, of Leopold and Loeb, the pair who tried to commit the perfect murder; they were defended by Clarence Darrow in a highly publicized trial.

4. John List, the mousy accountant who murdered his wife, three children, and his mother, left their bodies in the house, and walked away only to be arrested nearly two decades later.

5. Dr. John Buettner-Janusch, the respected anthropologist who did federal time for making LSD and then tried to poison the judge’s family. (He was not, strictly speaking, a murderer, but that was a whim of fate. Clews has the full story).

6. Ted Kaczynski, the infamous Unabomber, author of a manifesto which, when printed in several newspapers, led to his capture.

7. Carolyn Warmus – Remember the “Fatal Attraction case”? The headlines should have said, CRAZY WOMAN KILLS LOVER’S WIFE.

So, do you know what they all had in common?

Answer – scroll down...

...

...

...

keep scrolling...

...

...

They're all graduates of the University of Michigan (as was Clarence Darrow). Each of them journeyed from Ann Arbor to an alumni reunion… in Hell.

***

From Infamous Alumni of the University of Michigan

Quiz answers

THE ANSWERS:

Q. Lee Oswald shot and killed John F. Kennedy. Who shot Lee Oswald?

A. Jack Ruby

Q. Robert Ford shot and killed Jesse James. Who shot Robert Ford?

A. Ed O'Kelly

Q. John Wilkes Booth shot and killed Abraham Lincoln. Who shot John Wilkes Booth?

A. Boston Corbett

Q. When her lover Cesar dumped her, this famous performer shot him to death as he tried to leave in a cab. In court, she was described as “a dewy rose.”

A. Nan Patterson (Anna Eliza Patterson), of the Floradora Sextet, shot to death her lover Cesar Young, wealthy bookmaker, as he rode in a cab to the pier where he was about to sail to Europe to get rid of her. Her story is featured in Apples: True Stories of New York Crime and Mystery, 1689 to the Present (on the web) and at The Gambler and the Showgirl by Mark Gribben.

Q.. This woman shot her lover Jake, a national Republican committeeman.

A. Clara Smith Hamon shot oil millionaire Jake Hamon. Clara http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/hamon.html See her photo at http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/hamoncs.jpg Q. This lovely lady won many campus beauty contests at Northwestern University before becoming involved in a shooting.

Five juries were called before her case was finally resolved.

A. Madelynne Obenchain www.kino.com/press/vamps_vixens/vamps_pressb.pdf

Q. This wife of a sultan of Sahara never served a day in prison for his murder.

A. Mrs. Jacques Lebaudy. She murdered her crazy husband -- who proclaimed himself "Jacques the First, of the Empire of Sahara," because he had decided to rape his daughter. Or at least that’s what she said.

Come to find out Mrs. Lebaudy isn't the only wife of a sultan of Sahara to kill her husband. So did Shagrat al-Durr, the 13th-century female sultan of Egypt who murdered her husband. But Shagrat al-Durr was executed.

Q. This young lady walked into a South Carolina church and, while Sunday school was in session, shot her cousin John Steedley in the back. She was angry with him for gossiping about her.

A. Emma Connelly (a story I read in newspaperarchive.com)

All of these women had one thing in common: each was accused of murder and faced compelling evidence, but were ultimately acquitted.

quiz hints...

How well do you remember the most sensational, the most shocking, murder cases of years past? The other day I posted a quiz for the Crime Challenge. That quiz was tougher than I thought it would be... so here are some hints in bold.

Query -- Can  you name these infamous women?

A. When her lover Cesar dumped her, this famous performer shot him to death as he tried to leave in a cab. In court, she was described as "a dewy rose".

Hint: This murder took place in New York City. The headlines read:

SUICIDE, SHE ASSERTS: MURDER, SAYS WIFE

B. This woman shot and killed her lover Jake, a national Republican committeeman.

Hint: Jake was also an oil millionaire.

C. This woman won campus beauty contests at Northwestern University before she took a man's life. Five juries were called before her case was finally resolved.

Hint: This sensational affair was called "the Obenchain case." Did she or didn't she?

D. This wife of a sultan of Sahara never served a day in prison for his murder.

Hint: The "sultan" was actually a wealthy Frenchman gone mad. He proclaimed himself "Jacques the First, of the Empire of Sahara." His wife gave the best reason you've ever heard for shooting your husband.

E. This lady walked into a South Carolina church with a loaded pistol cocked and ready. While Sunday School was in session, she shot her cousin John Steedley in the back and killed him. She was angry with him for gossiping about her.

Hint: The answer is not to be found via Google or Yahoo (sorry, I didn't intend that). The murder took place in July, 1886.

Bonus question: what did they all have in common?

True Crime: Test Your Knowledge

We're not the only strange folk with a curious interest in old true crime stories. I recently joined a Yahoo group called The Crime Challenge, in which people with an interest in true crime quiz each other on their knowledge of famous and obscure murder cases. Some of the questions are really more of a test of your internet researching skills. Some questions will lead you to surf until you find a stunning true story.

So your correspondent recently came up with a Pop Quiz for the group. If you get more than half of these questions right, I'll be impressed.

Pop Crime Quiz

The Assassin's Assassin

1. Lee Oswald shot and killed John Kennedy. Who shot Lee Oswald?

2. Robert Ford shot and killed Jesse James. Who shot Robert Ford?

3. John Wilkes Booth shot and killed Abraham Lincoln. Who shot John Wilkes Booth?

Lethal Beauties

4. Can  you name these infamous women? Bonus question: what did they all have in common?

A. When her lover Cesar dumped her, this famous performer shot him to death as he tried to leave in a cab. In court, she was described as "a dewy rose".

B. This woman shot and killed her lover Jake, a national Republican committeeman.

C. This woman won campus beauty contests at Northwestern University before she took a man's life. Five juries were called before her case was finally resolved.

D. This wife of a sultan of Sahara never served a day in prison for his murder.

E. This lady walked into a South Carolina church with a loaded pistol cocked and ready. While Sunday School was in session, she shot her cousin John Steedley in the back and killed him. She was angry with him for gossiping about her.

Answers to come in 48 hours.

True Crime Bloggers

Interesting Sites and Blogs

Blog powered by TypePad
Member since 04/2005