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| Marion Parker |
Days after Christmas of 1927 in Los Angeles, a crime would occur in which the LA Times would brand the most horrible crime of the 1920s and to this day, over 100 years later, it still remains one of the most brutal, evil and cruel in American History.
The case begins with Frances Marion Parker, known as Marion to her family and friends. Marion was born on October 11, 1915 to a close knit family consisting of her parents, Geraldine and Perry, her older brother, Perry Jr and her twin sister, Marjorie. The family lived at 1631 South Wilton Place; a modest home paid for with her father’s success as a prominent banker.
Marion was a well behaved and timid child who attended Mount Vernon Junior High School in the Lafayette Square section of Los Angeles. December 15th of 1927, was a normal day for the Parker siblings; they had headed off to school as they did each morning; being that there were only 10 days left before Christmas, they were excited for the upcoming festivities. However, that afternoon, a well dressed and well-spoken young man entered the office of Mount Vernon Junior High School and introduced himself as Mr. Cooper. He then went on to ask the school registrar, Mary Holt, for “the Parker girl.”
The man had entered Mount Vernon School
Mr. Cooper told Mary that his boss, Perry Parker, had been in a terrible car accident and requested his daughter right away. When Miss Holt asked, “Which one?” the man seemed surprised as he hadn’t known that there were two little girls; neither of whose names he had known.
Nonetheless, the school Secretary, Naomi Flinton, brought Marion Parker to the office, and the two women excused Marion to leave with the stranger. Promising to take her to her father, Marion climbed into the passenger seat of the man’s coupe, and they drove away together. Little had it been known, was that Perry Parker had been in no such accident and was in fact still at work that day.
Marion’s father: Perry Parker
Marion’s mother Geraldine became concerned when Marjorie returned home without her twin, she telephoned the girls’ schoolmates and friends. No one had seen Marion. Concern soon turned into fear when Perry received a telegram that read, “Do positively nothing till you receive a special delivery letter” He signed off the telegram with Marian Parker.”
Marion (Left) pictured with her mother and twin sister, Marjorie
In a short time, a second telegram arrived; this one had read: “Marion secure, use good judgement. Interference with my plans dangerous.” This time, he signed off the letter with Marion Parker and George Fox; presumably another alias.
Telegram received by Marion’s family
Perry contacted school officials who explained what had happened with Mr. Cooper. It soon became clear that Perry had not known anyone named Mr Cooper and had certainly not sent a stranger to collect his daughter from school. At this point, Perry called the police. It was clear that someone abducted his 12-year-old daughter.
Officers wasted no time and arrived at the Parker household to take Marion’s description: she was 4'6", around 100 lbs and had been dressed in an English-print dress, brown oxford shoes, and tan stockings. She had straight, dark brown hair, bobbed to her jawline and she looked exactly like Marjorie.
A description of the man identifying himself as Mr Cooper was also taken: White. Between 25 and 30. Around 5'8" and 150 lbs. He wore a heavy grayish-brown overcoat, black shoes, and a dark hat. These descriptions went to press right away. Chief of Detectives Herman Cline ordered every officer to take part in the case and expressed his grave concerns about the girl’s whereabouts. Perry and Geraldine grew more overcome with worry as the hours passed, and none of these efforts revealed a single trace of Marion. The next day, a ransom note arrived at the Parker home, demanding $15,000 in gold certificates for the safe return of Marion.
Original ransom letter received after Marion’s abduction
This note was followed by two like it; all three ominously signed “Fate,” “Death,” and “The Fox.” One letter included a postscript in Marion’s handwriting: “Daddy, please do what this man tells you, or he’ll kill me if you don’t. Your loving daughter, Marion Parker.”
Letter written by Marion to her father, pleading with him to do as her kidnapper says
The kidnapper sent instructions to deliver the money to 10th Street and Gramercy Place. Desperate for his daughter to be returned, Perry followed the instructions; which had specifically wanted him against any police involvement. Sadly, the police, who were casing the Parker home, followed Perry without his knowledge. The kidnapper fled as soon as he caught on.
After the failed exchange, more letters were sent assuring Perry that Marion was alive, for now. He claimed Marion saw him during the botched hand-over. He said she wondered why her dad hadn’t helped her. The kidnapper then told Perry to wait for a telephone call and cautioned him to keep law enforcement away.
That call came at 7:35 PM on December 17. The kidnapper instructed Perry to bring the money to West 5th Street and South Manhattan Place in Los Angeles. Perry was there, cash in hand, by 8PM.
Perry was to meet with his daughter’s abductor
As Perry sat desperately waiting for the kidnapper to turn up with his daughter, sure enough, a Chrysler Coupe pulled up slowly next to Perry’s car. The man in the front seat had his face concealed with a bandana and brandishing a firearm he asked Perry if he saw it. Perry replied in the affirmative and asked if Marion was alright. As he leant over closer to peer into the car, Perry saw Marion slumped in the passenger seat. “She’s sleeping,” the kidnapper reassured the distressed father, and as Perry handed over the money. In that instant, the car sped away up the street and pushed Marion out onto the curb at 432 Manhattan Place.
Perry jumped out of his car and ran to his daughter, still believing that she was asleep. He cradled his little girl and noticed that her face was pale. To his horror, this was not all. She had been choked so hard that her head had been severed. Her eyes had been wired open to make it appear that she was still alive. Her killer had severed her arms and legs and her internal organs had been removed and replaced with rags. Her organs were later found strewn about the L.A. area. In that moment, any hope he had, was replaced with enormous grief.
Marion had suffered gruesome injuries
Dr. AE Wagner performed the initial autopsy. Completely unaware of who laid beneath the sheet on the autopsy table, he was shocked to find it was the dead body of his little neighbour, Marion.
On December 18, civilians walking in Elysian Park spotted bundles wrapped in newspaper, secured with a length of twine. Inside were Marion’s limbs and organs. At 620 Manhattan Street, a woman noticed a suitcase on her front lawn. It contained blood-soaked papers, and a spool of thread; the same thread the killer used to sew Marion’s eyes open.
Marion’s limbs were strewn around the area
Police initiated a nationwide manhunt for Marion’s killer consisting of over 20,000 police officers and volunteers. Someone had already leaked the morbid details regarding Marion’s manner of death to the press. The people of Los Angeles were enraged and feared for their own children. The Parker family and generous citizens raised a $100,000 reward for the killer’s identification and capture — dead or alive.
During the investigation, police grew suspicious of Perry Parker’s former employee, a young man named William Edward Hickman.
Suspect: William Edward Hickman
William had been a messenger boy at First National Bank who was convicted for forging stolen checks in June of 1927. He served time for the crimes, partially due to Perry’s testimony. On one of the telegrams from the killer, the address 2518 Birch Street, Alhambra was scrawled in the bottom corner. The address turned out to be one that William lived at with his mother, Eva, the previous year.
William’s former address scrawled in one of the letters
The towels stuffed into Marion’s abdomen were marked “Bellevue Arms,” the name of an apartment building located at 168 Bellevue Ave, in Los Angeles. On December 20, police went there to investigate and encountered a man who fit the description of Marion’s abductor. He identified himself as Donald Evans. Donald allowed the police to search his apartment, number 315. Police found no evidence, but Donald Evans disappeared. Investigators later learned that William Edward Hickman rented apartment 315. Undoubtedly, this was the man who killed Marion Parker.
Police soon located the car used to get the ransom. The owners reported it stolen weeks prior in Kansas City, Missouri. Prints from the notes matched those found on the vehicle as well as fingerprints on file from William Hickman’s previous arrest. Hickman’s photo was plastered all over the newspapers and sent to every police department on the West Coast.
William’s fingerprints were a match
Officers had no leads to William’s whereabouts in the early part of the investigation. A gas station attendant in Oregon thought he recognized William driving a green Hudson Sedan. Then, in Seattle, a $20 ransom note was used to purchase cold-weather clothing. It seemed that Hickman had taken a vacation to Oregon with the ransom money. The police up north were on high alert.
William was on the run in a vehicle similar to this
On December 22, 1927, Oregon police officers Chief Gurdane and Officer Lieuallen were enjoying a smoke break in Echo, Oregon, when an unmistakable green Hudson sped by. Officer Lieallen drove over 40 MPH, until they were alongside the stolen Hudson. They pointed a pistol at the driver, who half-heartedly gave chase, but eventually pulled over. William didn’t struggle when they arrested him. He only shrugged his shoulders and stated, “Well, I guess it’s all over.”
William was arrested for murder
When Perry Parker learned of the arrest, he told reporters:
“I feel a sense of deep and sincere thankfulness that this man has been captured, and that mothers no longer need fear that he may carry off their children.”
William admitted to the kidnapping right away. After the arrest, LAPD extradited William to California by train. He was docile while in captivity, but tried twice to commit suicide in the train’s washroom. They were feeble attempts, designed to convince his guards, and later the jury in his trial, that he was insane.
Thousands of curious spectators gathered at stations along the route of the train, hoping to catch a glimpse of the murderer who had been featured prominently in the previous week’s headlines. Hickman waved and smiled at them. During the trip, he had penned a 19-page confession to the murder of Marion Parker. His motive, he said, was that he wanted to go to college and needed tuition.
William had enjoyed the notoriety
Later, he was paraded in front of spectators at the Pendleton jail, and interviewed by countless reporters. Hickman couldn’t keep his mouth shut and seemed to love to bask in the spotlight.
William stated that he and Marion had actually got on very well and he had only killed her once she realized who he was — the two met before when she accompanied her father to work. William claimed he strangled her and dismembered her body to make it easier to conceal. Then, he realized that Perry wouldn’t pay for a child who was dead, so he filled her full of towels and sewed her eyes open to give the appearance of life.
Marion (right) and her sister, Marjorie
The trial began on January 25, 1928. The “not guilty by reason of insanity” defence was new in California. William intended to use it and began behaving erratically. He also wrote to another inmate and asked how to act crazy:
“I’ve got to throw a fit in court,” William wrote, “…I intend to throw a laughing, screaming, diving act before the prosecution finishes their case — maybe in front of old man Parker himself!”
During the trial, He would mumble to himself in his cell, and pretend he couldn’t hear people when they spoke to him. To complicate matters further, William confessed he murdered a pharmacist named Clarence Toms during a holdup with his buddy, Welby Hunt. Attorney Jerome K Walsh represented William and agreed he should use the insanity defense. He relied on the testimony of mental health professionals, friends, and family who testified that William was insane.
District Attorney Asa Keyes wasn’t about to let that defence get through a jury. He hired his own set of psychiatrists to argue that William was perfectly sane when he murdered Marion.
District Attorney: Asa Keyes
On February 9, 1928, William Hickman was found guilty of first-degree murder. The jury deliberated for only 36 minutes. William told the press, “The die is cast, and the State wins by a neck. I don’t think I have much to live for, and I don’t know yet why I killed that Parker girl, but I did it, and I’ll take my punishment.”
Before guards marched William to the gallows, he ate on a chicken dinner and listened to records on an old victrola. He read letters from his mom and cried once. He asked a guard to hear his final confession.
He detailed Marion’s last days. After three days of captivity, Marion began to get restless. William tied her to a chair in his apartment, and on December 17, he went to mail a ransom letter. When he returned, Marion insisted he free her. She was starting to get loud, and William feared she might attract attention. William approached Marion from behind. He placed a towel around her neck and strangled her. He recalled how Marion squirmed and flailed for two minutes. Then she went quiet and limp.
William dragged the child to his bathroom and laid her in the tub as he turned on the phonograph. William blared “Bye, Bye, Pretty Baby” as he began carving her limbs with a butcher knife. He said he thought she might have been alive when he started.
William insisted revenge was not the motive.
On October 29, 1928, William walked up the thirteen, squeaky steps, and fainted as the executioner placed a black hood over his head. The rope was slack. Too slack to break William’s neck. They released the trap door, and William strangled for 14 minutes before the doctor pronounced him dead.
Marion Parker’s grandmother, mother and father
In the aftermath of Marion’s murder, Geraldine and Perry Parker grieved their child for the rest of their lives. But they never held hatred in their hearts. Whenever Perry had the opportunity, he would ask the people to forgive the school employees who let his daughter go.
Marjorie Parker married and lived out her life in San Diego.
Marjorie Parker
Their brother, Perry Willard Parker, served in the US Airforce during World War II and the Korean War. Like Marjorie, he relocated to San Diego, where he lived to be 75.
Marion’s brother: Perry Willard Parker
William Edward Hickman was once quoted as saying: “If they shouldn’t hang me, then they never should hang another man. My crime was one of the most gruesome in history.”
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