A three-year-old mystery involving 800 pounds of stolen Swiss cheese finally cracked open in 1935. On a Saturday night in November 1931, a massive quantity of Swiss cheese was stolen from a cellar near Stone Creek at the dairy operated by Swiss immigrant Samuel Knutti (1873–1943). The heist was carried out by Kenneth Umstead (1894–1961),Continue reading “The Great Swiss Cheese Heist of 1931”
Tag Archives: 1930s true crime
A Night Gone Wrong: The Fatal Shooting of Caesar White
What began as a lively winter gathering in Dennison ended in a shocking fatal shooting. Caesar White (1913-1933) was born in Dennison, Ohio, the son of Italian immigrants Frank (1882-1922) and Antoinette White (1882-1944), who both came to the United States in the 1890s. The Whites married in 1899 and settled in Tuscarawas County byContinue reading “A Night Gone Wrong: The Fatal Shooting of Caesar White”
A Daughter’s Testimony: The Killing of Ella Lenarz
Ella Lenarz’s life ended in violence, her family torn apart, and justice proved painfully short-lived. Oella “Ella” Kelley (1900-1936) was born in Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio, to James Kelley (1880-1930) and Catherine Brannan (1881-1968). She grew up in a working-class family that endured both hardship and loss. Her early years were marked by the birthContinue reading “A Daughter’s Testimony: The Killing of Ella Lenarz”
No Justice for Mary Cirillo Shundry
On Thanksgiving Eve 1932, a young mother’s life was violently ended in a rural Tuscarawas County boarding house. Mary Marie Solvey (1907-1932) was born in, 1907 in Coshocton County, Ohio, to Sicilian immigrants Francesco “Frank” Argento (1877-1953) and Rosa “Rose” Mercurio Argento (1879-1921). Her parents married in Sicily in 1903 and arrived in the UnitedContinue reading “No Justice for Mary Cirillo Shundry”
Clara Campbell: The Girl Who Never Came Home
In the spring of 1930, seventeen-year-old Clara L. Campbell vanished after a dispute with her father, only to be found dead in Sweetwater Creek days later—her mysterious death raised more questions than answers. Content warning: This post contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or hasContinue reading “Clara Campbell: The Girl Who Never Came Home”
Gut-shot and Crawling: The 1932 Murder of a Tuscarawas County Farmer
A group of young men embarked on a crime spree that tragically culminated in the murder of local farmer, shot during a robbery at his rural Tuscarawas County home for a mere $15. During the summer and fall of 1932 a gang of young men, who had met one another in Canton, Ohio, went onContinue reading “Gut-shot and Crawling: The 1932 Murder of a Tuscarawas County Farmer”
