I originally published this story as a three-part blog on Chicago Now which no longer exists. It has given me the opportunity to combine them into one cohesive story with additions and corrections from the original. For decades the residents of Justice, Illinois, and curiosity seekers from elsewhere wondered about the grave marker that was … Read more
It is funny how a twist of fate can affect everything. Nathan Leopold Jr.’s birthdate is coming up on November 19th (2 days) and most crime history buffs are aware that he was arrested and charged along with his partner in crime Richard Loeb with the murder of Loeb’s cousin, Bobby Franks. They committed this … Read more
I was born in Chicago ten years after this murder took place. My mother was about the girls’ ages when they were murdered, and she lived in the Back of the Yards neighborhood that bordered the McKinley Park neighborhood where the girls lived. I remember how protective my mother was with us, but I didn’t … Read more
Many people have never heard the name, Charles Leroy Melquist. It seems to be a name lost to history, but could it hold the key to solving the oldest current cold case in Chicago history? I had become seriously interested in the murders of Barbara and Patricia Grimes after I had left my career in … Read more
