Episode 572: Heavenly Creatures: The Parker-Hulme Murder

On the afternoon of March 28, 1937, Easter Sunday, Joseph Gedeon and his daughter, Ethel, arrived at the home of Gedeon’s wife, Mary, for a planned Easter dinner. The Gedeon’s had been separated for some time but had agreed to have dinner together as a family, which included their other daughter, Veronica, a moderately successful pulp magazine model. When they entered the apartment, it appeared as though no one was home; however, upon checking the bedroom where his daughter slept, Joseph Gedeon found the nude body of his daughter lying lifeless on the bed and immediately called the police.During an initial search of the apartment, investigators found the body of Mary Gedeon stuffed under her bed; like her daughter, she had been strangled to death. In a third bedroom, police also found the body of Mary’s boarder, Frank Byrnes, who’d been stabbed several times in the head and neck with a long, thin implement. There was no sign of a forced entry, no sign of a struggle, and nothing appeared to be missing from the apartment. Given that Veronica had been found nude, and Mary was clothed but her underwear had been torn away, investigators assumed the murders were a sex crime.Still caught in the grip of the Great Depression, New Yorkers welcomed anything that could distract from the unpleasant realities of daily life and the salacious murder of a pulp magazine model—a sex crime, no less—was exactly what they were looking for. The story dominated the press, as reporters and tabloid journalists dug into Veronica’s personal life and dating history and published lurid photos from her past. But when the killer was finally caught and the motive revealed, the story was far stranger and tragic than anyone had imagined.Thank you to the wonderful David White of the Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!ReferencesBrooklyn Daily Eagle. 1937. "Cops question ex-lodger in triple murder." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 29: 1.—. 1937. "Doubts student is killer." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 6: 1.—. 1938. "Irwin's guilty plea." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, November 15: 10.Buffalo Evening News. 1938. "Irwin, ruled insane, sent to Dannemora." Buffalo Evening News, December 10: 1.2015. A Crime to Remember. Directed by Jeremiah Crowell. Performed by Jeremiah Crowell.New York Daily News. 1937. "3 murdered in model's flat." New York Daily News, March 29: 1.—. 1937. "Gray hair in model's hand chief clue in triple murder." New York Daily News, March 30: 1.—. 1937. "Willful Ronnie 'made fools of men,' dad says." New York Daily News, March 30: 3.New York Times. 1938. "139-year sentence imposed on Irwin." New York Times, November 29: 48.—. 1937. "Fingerprint clues found at scene of triple murder." New York Times, March 31: 1.—. 1937. "Gedeon gets bail." New York Times, April 3: 1.—. 1937. "Gedeon questioned again in murders; solution held near." New York Times, April 1: 1.—. 1937. "Irwin flown here; boasts of killings." New York Times, June 28: 1.—. 1937. "Irwin, wild-eyed, meets reporters." New York Times, September 1: 20.—. 1937. "Women jam court to glimpse Irwin." New York Times, Jukly 1: 56.People v. Robert Irwin. 1938. 166 Misc. 751 (Court of General Sessions of the County of New York, March 24).Schechter, Harold. 2014. The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder That Shook the Nation. Boston, MA: New Harvest.United Press. 1937. "Sculptor hunted as triple killer in Gedeon cases." Buffalo Evening News, April 5: 1.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A massive interstate search was launched to find Marion’s killer and within a few days, police arrested nineteen-year-old William Edward Hickman, a former co-worker of Perry Parker. During his interrogation, Hickman confessed to kidnapping and murdering Marion, claiming that a god he referred to as “Providence” had instructed him to do it. That confession prompted Hickman’s attorneys to take advantage of the state’s new law accepting a legal defense of not guilty by reason of insanity; however, a jury disagreed, and Hickman was found guilty and executed at San Quentin Prison the following year.Because of the shocking cruelty and brutality of the murder, the well documented and exciting search for the killer, and the sensational nature of the defense, the story of Marion Parker’s murder and the trial that followed dominated the media and occupied several pages of all the major papers across the state for months. For these reasons and more, it remains one of the most notorious murders in California history.ReferencesAssociated Press. 1928. "Hickman to have new judge." Fresno Bee, January 25: 1.—. 1927. "Confession stuns mother." Los Angeles Times, December 23: 4.Berger, Jackson. 1927. "Kidnapper tries to dash out brains in frenzy." Los Angeles Times, December 25: 1.Los Angeles Record. 1927. "Hunt kidnappers of girl." Los Angeles Record, December 16: 1.Los Angeles Times. 1927. "'Fox' ponders 'crazy' plea." Los Angeles Times, December 24: 1.—. 1927. "Fugitive caught in breakneck race with Oregon officers." Los Angeles Times, December 23: 1.—. 1927. "Hickman believed in Seattle." Los Angeles Times, December 22: 1.—. 1927. "Hickman pronounced sane." Los Angeles Times, December 24: 1.—. 1927. "Hickman's finger-prints found in apartment." Los Angeles Times, December 21: 1.—. 1927. "'I liked her' declares youth while he sobs." Los Angeles Times, December 23: 1.—. 1927. "Kidnapper grows sullen when 'pal' proves alibi." Los Angeles Times, December 24: 1.—. 1928. "New crimes confessed by Hickman." Los Angeles Times, October 14: 3.—. 1928. "New horror in Hickman case." Los Angeles Times, February 2: 1.—. 1928. "Slayer makes self-analysis." Los Angeles Times, February 2: 2.Neibaur, James. 2016. Butterfly in the Rain: The 1927 Abduction and Murder of Marion Parker. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.New York Times. 1928. "Hickman sentenced to hang April 27." New York Times, February 15: 25.—. 1928. "Hickman's father goes to his aid." New York Times, February 1: 13.—. 1927. "Youth arrested in child slaying at Los Angeles." New York Times, December 19: 1.Overton, Gerald. 1928. "Hickman goes to death on gibbet." Fresno Bee, October 19: 1.Rasmussen, Cecilia. 2001. "Girl's grisly killing had city residents up in arms." Los Angeles Times, February 4.San Francisco Examiner. 1927. "Kidnapped girl's body tossed omn lawn." San Francisco Examiner, December 18: 1.State of California v William Edward Hickman. 1928. 204 Cal. 470 (Supreme Court of California, July 5).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the afternoon of December 15, 1927, twelve-year-old Marion Parker was checked out of her Los Angeles junior high school by a man claiming to be an employee of her father, Perry Parker, an employee at a bank in the city. The man claimed Parker had been in an accident and he was to bring the girl to see her father, but this was just a ruse to abduct the girl. The following day, Marion’s parents received several cryptic ransom letters demanding $1,500 in gold in exchange for the safe return of their daughter. On December 17, Perry Parker delivered the money to the kidnapper, who took the money, then dumped Marion’s dead, mutilated body out of the car before speeding away.ReferencesAssociated Press. 1928. "Hickman to have new judge." Fresno Bee, January 25: 1.—. 1927. "Confession stuns mother." Los Angeles Times, December 23: 4.Berger, Jackson. 1927. "Kidnapper tries to dash out brains in frenzy." Los Angeles Times, December 25: 1.Los Angeles Record. 1927. "Hunt kidnappers of girl." Los Angeles Record, December 16: 1.Los Angeles Times. 1927. "'Fox' ponders 'crazy' plea." Los Angeles Times, December 24: 1.—. 1927. "Fugitive caught in breakneck race with Oregon officers." Los Angeles Times, December 23: 1.—. 1927. "Hickman believed in Seattle." Los Angeles Times, December 22: 1.—. 1927. "Hickman pronounced sane." Los Angeles Times, December 24: 1.—. 1927. "Hickman's finger-prints found in apartment." Los Angeles Times, December 21: 1.—. 1927. "'I liked her' declares youth while he sobs." Los Angeles Times, December 23: 1.—. 1927. "Kidnapper grows sullen when 'pal' proves alibi." Los Angeles Times, December 24: 1.—. 1928. "New crimes confessed by Hickman." Los Angeles Times, October 14: 3.—. 1928. "New horror in Hickman case." Los Angeles Times, February 2: 1.—. 1928. "Slayer makes self-analysis." Los Angeles Times, February 2: 2.Neibaur, James. 2016. Butterfly in the Rain: The 1927 Abduction and Murder of Marion Parker. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.New York Times. 1928. "Hickman sentenced to hang April 27." New York Times, February 15: 25.—. 1928. "Hickman's father goes to his aid." New York Times, February 1: 13.—. 1927. "Youth arrested in child slaying at Los Angeles." New York Times, December 19: 1.Overton, Gerald. 1928. "Hickman goes to death on gibbet." Fresno Bee, October 19: 1.Rasmussen, Cecilia. 2001. "Girl's grisly killing had city residents up in arms." Los Angeles Times, February 4.San Francisco Examiner. 1927. "Kidnapped girl's body tossed omn lawn." San Francisco Examiner, December 18: 1.State of California v William Edward Hickman. 1928. 204 Cal. 470 (Supreme Court of California, July 5).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the afternoon of June 22, 1954, Agnes Ritchie was preparing ice cream for two customers in her shop when two teenage girls, Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, burst through the front door, screaming for help and saying one of their mothers had been killed. Agnes and her husband followed the girls into the nearby wooded area, where they found the badly beaten and obviously dead body of Honorah Parker. The couple wasn’t able to get much out of either girl, only that the woman had slipped and hit her head, but their behavior was strange and something about the whole scene didn’t feel right.Just two days later, Parker and Hulme were charged with the murder of Pauline’s mother, Honorah Parker. According to the prosecution, the girls had developed an intense bond and had created romantic fantasy in the months leading up to the murder that bordered on obsessiveness. In 1954, the girls’ relationship became threatened when Hulme’s parents divorced and began talking of relocating. Fearing they would be separated and never see one another again, Parker and Hulme killed Honorah, believing that her death would put an end to any plans to relocate.The story of Honorah’s murder and the trial that followed quickly spread across New Zealand and Australia and eventually made its way around the globe. Among other things, the case challenged existing beliefs about young women and their capacity for violence, but just as important were the sensational and salacious mentions of insanity and homosexuality that were often more implied than explicitly stated.Thank you to David White, of the Bring Me the Axe Podcast, for research :)ReferencesBrisbane Telegraph. 1954. "Conspired to Kill." Brisbane Telegraph, August 23: 1.—. 1954. "Teenagers remanded, police blame girl's passion for horses." Brisbane Telegraph, June 24: 1.Chun, Louise. 1995. "Slaughter by the innocents: The case of the schoolgirl killers shocked New Zealand." The Guardian, January 30.Graham, Peter. 2011. So Brilliantly Clever: Parker, Hulme and the Murder that Shocked the World. Wellington, NZ: Awa Press.Neustatter, Angela. 2003. "‘I was guilty. I did my time’: Anne Perry, the novelist whose past caught up with her." The Guardian, November 20.Newcastle Sun. 1954. "Girls shrugged at charge of murder." Newcastle Sun, July 16: 1.The Age. 1954. "Girls smile at N.Z. sentence." The Age , August 30: 1.—. 1954. "Defence says N.Z. girls insane as mother killed." The Age, August 25: 9.—. 1954. "Description of quarrel." The Age, July 17: 3.—. 1954. "Doctor says both girls certifiable." The Age, August 27: 5.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A community frantically searches for two missing boys who disappeared in a dense forest. Days pass with no leads, but a man's prophetic dream leads to their discovery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nancy Brophy fills her novels with romantic betrayals and murder. It’s a far cry from her quiet life in the suburbs, where she and her chef husband, Dan, are living out their golden years. But when Dan is shot dead, Nancy finds herself at the center of a murder case that could be ripped from the pages of her novels.From Wondery, this is a story about what happens when the line blurs between fiction and reality. Listen to Happily Never After: Dan & Nancy on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial by visiting Wondery.fm/HNA_DN now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the evening of May 22, 1992, Betty Wilson returned home from an AA meeting to find her husband, Dr. Jack Wilson, had been beaten and stabbed to death in what she assumed was a burglary gone wrong. Betty ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911, and police arrived at the Wilson’s house a short time later to secure the scene.At first, investigators agreed with Betty’s theory that Jack had surprised a burglar and was then killed. The problem, however, was that nothing appeared to have been taken, nor did it appear that the house had been ransacked. A few days later, a tip led detectives to James White, who quickly confessed that he murdered Jack Wilson at the request of Betty and her twin sister, Peggy Lowe, with whom he was in love. Betty Wilson and her sister, Peggy, were both arrested and went on to be tried for capital murder, while James White accepted a plea deal in exchange for testifying against both women. After a brief trial, a jury found Betty guilty, and she was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Peggy Lowe, on the other hand, was tried for the same crime, but just a few months after her sister’s verdict was read, Peggy was found not guilty. How was it both women could face the same charges, under the same circumstances, and be tried with the same evidence, but receive opposite outcomes? Thank you to David White, of Bring Me the Axe podcast, for research!ReferencesAssociated Press. 1992. "Friends of accused express disbelief." Montgomery Advertiser, July 13: 13.—. 1992. "Suspect's former lover quits post." Montgomery Advertiser, June 24: 18.—. 1992. "Twin sisters suspects in man's murder." Selma Times-Journal, June 7: 7.Betty Woods Wilson v. State of Alabama. 1995. 690 So. 2d 449 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, May 5).Carey, Bob. 1998. "The Murder." Old Huntsville: History and Stories of the Tennessee Valley, 1.Dunnavant, Robert. 1992. "Shelby man says he killed doctor to win twin's love." Birmingham Post-Herald, June 6: 1.1996. Forensic Files. Produced by Paul Bourdett. Performed by Ed Freeman.Marshall, Mike. 2006. "Serving time for murdering husband, Betty Wilson remarries in prison." Dothan Eagle, May 3: 3.Newberry, Paul. 1993. "Surprise testimony in Wilson murder trial." Anniston Star, February 28: 1.—. 1993. "Wilson defense mocks, picks apart testimony ." Birmingham Post-Herald, February 25: 1.Reeves, Jay. 1993. "Betty Wilson silent as jury gets her case." Anniston Star, March 2: 2.—. 1993. "Deliberation starts in case of woman accused of plotting husband's slaying." Montgomery Advertiser, March 3: 1.Richardson, Sandee. 1993. "Wilson trial begins." Birmingham Post-Herald, February 24: 1.Schutze, Jim. 2023. By Two and Two: The Scandalous Story of Twin Sisters Accused of a Shocking Crime of Passion. New York, NY: Open Road Media.Sikora, Frank. 1993. "Mrs. Wilson's disgust toward husband detailed." Birmingham Post-Herald, February 27: 1.Thornton, Donna. 2022. "Filmmaker contends doctor's wife wrongly convicted." Montgomery Advertiser, August 29: 1.Wilson, Betty. 1998. "The Betty Wilson story." Old Huntsville: History and Stories of the Tennessee Valley, 1.Witt, Elaine. 1993. "Mrs. Wilson guilty, gets life in prison." Birmingham Post-Herald, March 4: 1.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Weirdos!! It’s a SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE brought to YOU by our friends at Audible! Today we’re joined by Sheena Melwani to chat about the Audible original, “Desperate Deadly Widows”! Join the “Weirdos’ Audiobook Club’ AND the conversation as we talk about our favorite characters, themes, and scenes! Haven’t listened yet? Don’t worry about it, friend! Go to Audible.com/weirdos for YOUR free trial! And don’t forget to click the episode post on Instagram to comment YOUR favorite part of the book, and discuss with other Weirdos who enjoyed the title, as well!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s Listener Tales 86 This week’s episode is brought to you by... Dads, coffee cups, and whoppers! We hear about an encounter with big foot, an EVP from a ghost hunt at a cemetery, dreams haunted by a pregnant woman, and the underlying story of the crime that lead to hauntings at the Field farm!If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to [email protected] with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line :)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Part four focuses on Fred & Rose West's final crimes, and the events leading up to their arrest. Their subsequent trials would become the focus of the nation as people learned of the atrocities performed at their home. Thank you to the wondrous Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for Research!ReferencesAmis, Martin. 2000. When darkness met light. May 11. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2000/may/11/features11.g2.BBC News. 1998. Fred West 'admitted killing waitress'. March 25. Accessed March 19, 2024. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/69928.stm.—. 2001. How many more did Fred West kill? September 27. Accessed March 19, 2024. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1567038.stm.—. 2021. The 12 victims of Fred and Rosemary West. May 27. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-57182844.Bennett, Will. 1995. Step-daughter Charmaine was first to die. November 22. Accessed March 19, 2024. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/stepdaughter-charmaine-was-first-to-die-1583071.html.Birmingham Evening Mail. 1974. "Missing girls theory." Birmingham Evening Mail, January 7: 1.Birmingham Post. 1968. "Missing waitress mystery deepens." Birmingham Post, January 23: 2.—. 1974. "Student missing for six days may return ton university-police." Birmingham Post, January 2: 2.—. 1968. "Yard detectives join search for Gloucester girl." Birmingham Post, January 9: 1.Campbell, Duncan. 1995. "How a string of girls came to die in depraved and appalling circumstances." The Guardian, October 7.Duce, Richard. 1995. "West's suicide avenged killings, QC tells jurors." The Times, November 16.Duce, Richard, and Bill Frost. 1995. "Court told of depravity at 25 Cromwell Street." The Times, October 7: 4.Evening Post. 1968. "Helicopter joins hunt for Mary." Evening Post, January 8: 1.Evening Standard. 1974. "Have you spotted this girl?" Evening Standard, July 4: 18.Frost, Bill. 1995. "Cromwell Street murders case man is dead." The Times, Janaury 2.Frost, Bill, and Richard Duce. 1995. "I'm being made a scapegoat, says West." The Times, November 2.—. 1995. "No place for sentiment, West jurors are told." The Times, October 4.—. 1995. "West: I fell under Fred's spell." The Times, October 31.Gloucester Echo. 1994. "Did builder know Mary?" Gloucester Echo, March 8: 3.—. 1994. "Graden bodies: Who were they?" Gloucester Echo, March 2: 1.Gloucestershire Echo. 1995. "From angelic child to coldest of killers." Gloucestershire Echo 5.—. 1995. "Fred West found dead." Gloucestershire Echo, January 2: 1.—. 1995. "I'll see you in court, Rose." Gloucestershire Echo, January 4: 1.Knight, Adam. 2014. Fred West's brother denies incest claims. November 7. Accessed March 17, 2024. https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/11587578.fred-wests-brother-denies-incest-claims/.Lee, Adrian, Tim Jones, and Damian Whitworth. 1996. "Fred West's brother hangs himself." The Times, November 29.Ovington, Paul. 1974. "Hunt steps up as fear grows for Lucy, 21." Western Daily Press and Times, January 4: 1.Sounes, Howard. 1995. Fred & Rose: The Full Story of Fred and Rose West and the Gloucester House of Horrors. New York, NY: Open Road Media.United Press International. 1995. "British jury convicts West of 10 murders." UPI Archive, November 22.West, Mae, and Neil McKay. 2018. Love as Always, Mum: The True and Terrible Story of Surviving a Childhood with Fred and Rose West. London, UK: Seven Dials Press.Williams, Martin. 1994. "'Our sister is still alive'." Gloucester Echo, February 26: 1.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.