true crime – Page 5 – Tuscarawas County Stories

A Killing in Dennison: The Story of Minnie Adkins

AI generated image depicting the confrontation between Jacob Broschardt and Minnie Adkins in 1908. (Source: Microsoft Designer)

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”

A Georgian in Uhrichsville: The Murder of Mayfield Mallory

AI generated image depicting the conflict between Mayfield Mallory and William Stone in October 1923. (Source: Microsoft Designer)

During the Great Migration, a period of American history when millions of Black southerners moved to find work in the industrialized cities of the north, many found themselves in the Twin Cities of Dennison and Uhrichsville, Ohio. This is the sad story of one of those men. According to United States Census records, in 1920Continue reading “A Georgian in Uhrichsville: The Murder of Mayfield Mallory”

No Apology Given: The Leo Byers Murder of 1934

AI generated image depicting Leo Byers and George Alesiano sitting in Alesiano's kitchen drinking whisky on the day Leo was killed. Mrs. Byers is seen in the background, 2025.

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

AI generated image depicting the De Benedetta home in Dennison, Ohio in October 1924, 2025. (Source: Microsoft Designer)

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 By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Conclusion

AI generated image depicting Ellen Crites Athey sitting in her cell at the Columbus State Hospital for the Insane in 1903. (Source: ChatGPT)

The tragic aftermath of Mary Senff’s murder unfolded not only in the haunting fate of Ellen but in ghostly legends that lingered in the community. Read Part Four Note on spelling: Not surprisingly, the Senff surname is spelled differently across many of the historical documents, newspaper articles, headstones, etc. For consistency, I have decided toContinue reading ““Murder By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Conclusion”

“Murder By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Part Four

AI generated image depicting Mary Senff and Ellen Crites Athey arguing in Mary's bedchamber the night of May 28, 1880. (Source: Microsoft Designer)

The murder of Mary Senff inside the Athey farmhouse in May 1880 was one of the most brutal crimes in Tuscarawas County history. Read Part Three Note on spelling: Not surprisingly, the Senff surname is spelled differently across many of the historical documents, newspaper articles, headstones, etc. For consistency, I have decided to use theContinue reading ““Murder By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Part Four”

“Murder By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Part Three

AI generated image, altered, depicting the discovery of Mary Senff's body in the Sugar Creek in 1880.

When missing Mary Senff’s body was discovered in June 1880, the attention of investigators quickly turned to the Athey and Crites families. Read Part Two Note on spelling: Not surprisingly, the Senff surname is spelled differently across many of the historical documents, newspaper articles, headstones, etc. For consistency, I have decided to use the spellingContinue reading ““Murder By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Part Three”

“Murder By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Part Two

AI generated image of two young women walking along a dirt path under the soft glow of a full moon on a spring night in 1880, in rural Ohio. They are returning from an evening spent at a cozy, lantern-lit farmhouse, which is visible in the background, nestled among rolling fields and budding trees. The women wear period-appropriate dresses with delicate lace trims and shawls draped over their shoulders, their skirts gently swaying as they walk. The night sky is speckled with stars, and fireflies flicker in the cool night air. Their expressions convey warmth and quiet conversation as they make their way home.

The second part of the story of the 1880 murder of 18-year-old Mary Senff by a member of a prominent local family that ignited a national sensation. Read Part One Note on spelling: Not surprisingly, the Senff surname is spelled differently across many of the historical documents, newspaper articles, headstones, etc. For consistency, I haveContinue reading ““Murder By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Part Two”

“Murder By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Part One

AI generated image depicting the discovery of the body of Mary Sneff in 1880. (Source: Chatgpt)

The 1880 brutal murder of 18-year-old Mary Senff by a member of a prominent local family ignited a national sensation. Note on spelling: Not surprisingly, the Senff surname is spelled differently across many of the historical documents, newspaper articles, headstones, etc. For consistency, I have decided to use the spelling that appeared on the 1850Continue reading ““Murder By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Part One”

A Son’s Madness and the Murder of Dr. James Dickson

AI generated image depicting Dr. James A. Dickson lying lifeless on his stair landing after being shot. (Source: ChatGPT)

A respected doctor, Civil War veteran, and county coroner, James A. Dickson built a life of service in Dover—until a tragic turn of events in the summer of 1903 led to his shocking murder at the hands of his own son. James A. Dickson (1837-1903) was born on July 2, 1837, in Huron County, Ohio,Continue reading “A Son’s Madness and the Murder of Dr. James Dickson”