The 1911 murder of Tony Gerriod remains a mystery in Tuscarawas County history. Tony Gerriod’s surname was spelled a number of ways in the newspaper including Geraid and Gerald. I have chosen the spelling that appeared on the only legal document associated with him, his death certificate. His nationality is also vague, sometimes reported asContinue reading “Murder on the Wheeling & Lake Erie”
Tag Archives: murder investigation
The Cistern Secret: The 1919 Clara Shroyer Case
A shocking discovery in a city cistern would unravel the dark, hidden chapter of young woman’s short life. Clara Madge Shroyer (1897–1930) was born in Mineral City, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, the daughter of Henry Shroyer (1872–1930), a local farm laborer, and his wife, Selena Emma Fisher Shroyer (1876–1937). She grew up in a rural farmingContinue reading “The Cistern Secret: The 1919 Clara Shroyer Case”
Adam Lantzer and The Newlywed Killing of 1913
A moment of joy between a Dover couple was shattered by a drunken driver on Wooster Road. Verna C. Dawson (1892–1923) was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, the daughter of Robert E. Dawson (1862–1916) and Etta Little Dawson (1874–1949). Her father, once employed at a pipe works in Newcomerstown, later returned to farming as theContinue reading “Adam Lantzer and The Newlywed Killing of 1913”
The Carnival Murder of 1912
When a carnival rolled into Newcomerstown in 1912, it left behind a dead man and a vanished killer. Documenting the life of Elix Vandil (1884-1912), known variously in American records as Alex Bender, Alex Raudel, and Alexander Vendel, illustrates the significant challenges faced when tracing the paths of recent immigrants at the turn of theContinue reading “The Carnival Murder of 1912”
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”
Jealous and Armed: The Murder of Ruth Moore
Ruth Moore’s life ended in violence after suspicion and jealousy turned her husband into a murderer. Content warning: This post contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. Click here for resources to find helpContinue reading “Jealous and Armed: The Murder of Ruth Moore”
Innocence Buried: The Feutz Tragedy of 1935
The lives of a Dover family unraveled in 1935 with a secret birth and a tragic crime. Content warning: The post contains discussion of infanticide. Mary Warther (1887-1969) was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, the daughter of Swiss immigrants Jacob Godfrey Warther (1844-1888) and Elizabeth Anna Haney (1855-1938). Her early years were marked by theContinue reading “Innocence Buried: The Feutz Tragedy of 1935”
Unindicted: The 1935 Death of Clarence Garabrandt
A Dennison man’s life ends in mystery after a fatal punch. Was it murder or a tragic twist of fate? Clarence Garabrandt (1902-1935) was born in the village of Barnhill, nestled in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. The son of Ezra Garabrandt (1868-1923) and Lydia Smitely (1871-1951), Clarence grew up in a family familiar with hard labor.Continue reading “Unindicted: The 1935 Death of Clarence Garabrandt”
A Killing in Dennison: The Story of Minnie Adkins
Minnie Adkins—a young Black mother and domestic worker—sparked a rare wave of public sympathy after she shot and killed a white man who threatened her. Minnie Williamson (1884-aft. 1950) was born in 1884 in North Carolina to Bedford Williamson and Della Willis. One of nine siblings, Minnie came of age in the post-Reconstruction South asContinue reading “A Killing in Dennison: The Story of Minnie Adkins”
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”
Tuscarawas County Stories 