The Crucifix Oath: The Sinibaldi Murder of 1913

In 1913 Dennison, Ohio, jealousy, violence, and a desperate struggle turned a marriage deal into murder. Antonio “Tony” Sinibaldi (1873-1913) was born in L’Aquila, San Benedetto dei Marsi, Italy, to Antonio Sinibaldi and Maria Ficcadehli. He grew up in Italy but as a young man decided to seek opportunities in America. Antonio immigrated to theContinue reading “The Crucifix Oath: The Sinibaldi Murder of 1913”

The Unsolved Murder of Salvatore Favazzo

Over a century later, the brutal murder of Salvatore Favazzo remains one of Tuscarawas County’s most haunting unsolved crimes. In the summer of 1917, Salvatore “Sam” Favazzo (c. 1887-1917) was a familiar face in the Italian neighborhoods of Dennison, Ohio. A man in his early forties, he lived in a local boarding house and ownedContinue reading “The Unsolved Murder of Salvatore Favazzo”

No Apology Given: The Leo Byers Murder of 1934

On a quiet street in Dover, Ohio, a friendship turned fatal one Sunday in 1934. Leo E. Byers (1894-1934) was born in 1894 in Pennsylvania to William E. Byers (1868-1945), who later served as police chief in Dover, Ohio, and Jane Robertson (1869-1907). During his early years, he lived with his family in Westmoreland County,Continue reading “No Apology Given: The Leo Byers Murder of 1934”

A Shot in the Dark: The 1924 Killing of Domenico Macri

An Italian immigrant and widowed father was gunned down in a Dennison home in 1924, exposing a hidden past. Domenico Macri (1880-1924), also recorded in some documents as Domineco Marci, was born in the Italian village of Mansoreto. He spent his early years there before he immigrated to the United States around the turn ofContinue reading “A Shot in the Dark: The 1924 Killing of Domenico Macri”

Murder of John Constantino: A Tuscarawas County Cold Case

A new husband and hardworking immigrant, John Constantino vanished on a quiet February night in 1929—only to be found days later, murdered and frozen near a schoolhouse, his killing still a mystery nearly a century later. Giovanni “John” Constantino (1903–1929) was born in Gioiosa Marea, Sicily, to Filippo Constantino and Rosa Ramona. Seeking a newContinue reading “Murder of John Constantino: A Tuscarawas County Cold Case”