Murder and Menace: Riveting True Crime Tales (Vol. 2)

By R. Barri Flowers

R. Barri Flowers, award-winning criminologist and the bestselling author of Serial Killers & Prostitutes and The Sex Slave Murders, brings together seven of his best previously published true crime stories in this captivating second volume of Murder and Menace: Riveting True Crime Tales.

Mass Murder in the Sky: The Bombing of Flight 629 tells the unbelievable and horrifying tale for all aboard a United Air Lines plane in 1955 when an act of vengeance by a ruthless and unlikely killer is carried out.

Killers of the Lonely Hearts: The Tale of Serial Killers Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck is the gripping story of sex, jealousy, and preying on lonely women by murderous con artist lovers during the 1940s and the ultimate price they paid.

Murder of a Star Quarterback: The Tragic Tale of Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi tells the riveting story of an NFL sports legend, his young mistress, jealousy, money, and desperation that spins dangerously out of control in Nashville, leading to deadly results.

Murder on Cromwell Street: The Chilling Story of Serial Killers Fred and Rosemary West chronicles the twisted lives of Britain's most infamous serial killer couple and the horrors they inflicted upon their young female captives, including bondage and murder, over two decades before the terror finally came to an end.

The Gold Special Train Robbery: Deadly Crimes of the D'Autremont Brothers tells the harrowing story of a daring robbery by determined siblings in search of gold on the Southern Pacific Railroad Express Train bound for San Francisco in 1923 that ended in murder and mayhem.

The Most Wanted Killers: The Serial Crimes of Alton Coleman and Debra Denise Brown relives the frightening rape, robbery, and murder spree by an African American serial killer couple over a two month stretch, while making the FBI's Most Wanted List.

Murder in Bellevue: The Killing of Alan and Diane Johnson tells the horrific tale of an Idaho couple who were gunned down in their own home in a shocking and unforgettable case of family violence that turned deadly.

Also included is a bonus excerpt from the author's bestselling true crime book, The Sex Slave Murders: The True Story of Serial Killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego, a deadly married couple who preyed upon teenage girls and young women to fulfill perverted sex slave fantasies.

Other bonus excerpts include, Dead in Kihei, from the Eddie Naku Maui Mystery series and a noir mystery short story, The Wrong End of a Gun, by R. Barri Flowers.

Stay tuned for the upcoming third volume of Murder and Menace: Riveting True Crime Tales.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R. Barri Flowers
• Release date: Jan 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370011063

R. Barri Flowers

R. Barri Flowers is the award winning, bestselling author of mystery and thriller novels, true crime books, relationship fiction, young adult mysteries, and children's books. Follow R. Barri Flowers on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Goodreads, LibraryThing, and YouTube. Learn more about the author on Wikipedia and www.rbarriflowers.com.

Book preview

MURDER AND MENACE

Riveting True Crime Tales

Volume Two

By R. Barri Flowers

MURDER AND MENACE

Riveting True Crime Tales

Volume Two

Copyright 2017 by R. Barri Flowers

All rights reserved.

Cover Image Copyright Valentina Ridjin, 2017

Used under license from Shutterstock.com

For all of my fans around the world who have supported the many books and short stories I have written over the decades.

And for all lovers of true crime and criminology in general.

Last, but not least, this is dedicated to the memory of all the victims of crime whose lives were cut short prematurely and deserved much better.

* * *

TRUE CRIME BOOKS BY R. BARRI FLOWERS

The Dynamics of Murder: Kill or Be Killed

Masters of True Crime: Chilling Stories of Murder and the Macabre (editor)

Murder and Menace: Riveting True Crime Tales (Vol. 1)

Murder and Menace: Riveting True Crime Tales (Vol. 2)

Murder and Menace: Riveting True Crime Tales (Vol. 3)

Murders in the United States: Crimes, Killers, and Victims of the 20th Century

Prostitution in the Digital Age: Selling Sex from the Suite to the Street

Serial Killer Couples: Bonded by Sexual Depravity, Abduction, & Murder

Serial Killers and Prostitutes: True Crime Series

The Sex Slave Murders: The True Story of Serial Killers Gerald & Charlene Gallego

CRIME AND THRILLER NOVELS BY R. BARRI FLOWERS

Dark Streets of Whitechapel

Dead in Kihei

Dead in Pukalani

Dead in the Rose City

Fractured Trust

Justice Served

Killer Evidence Legal Thriller 4-Book Bundle

Killer in The Woods

Murder in Honolulu

Murder in Hawaii Mysteries

Murder in Maui

Murder of the Hula Dancers

Murder on Kaanapali Beach

Murdered in the Gourmet Kitchen

Murdered in the Man Cave

Persuasive Evidence

Private Eye Bestselling Mysteries

Seduced To Kill in Kauai

Serial Killer Thrillers 5-Book Bundle

State's Evidence

* * *

PRAISE FOR TRUE CRIME BOOKS BY R. BARRI FLOWERS

Must read for all true crime fans. — Amazon reviewer on Serial Killers and Prostitutes

Selected as one of Suspense Magazine's Best books. — John Raab, CEO/Publisher on The Sex Slave Murders

A gripping account of the murders committed by husband-and-wife serial killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego. — Gary C. King, true crime author on The Sex Slave Murders

Vivid case studies of murder to complement this well researched criminology text. — Scott Bonn, Ph.D., criminology professor on The Dynamics of Murder

A model of exposition not to be missed by anyone interested in the annals of American criminal behavior. — Jim Ingraham, Ph.D., professor emeritus of American Studies at Bryant University on The Pickaxe Killers

R. Barri Flowers always relates an engrossing story. — Robert Scott, true crime author on The Sex Slave Murders

Striking, well-written tales sparkle in this ocean of murder. — Diane Fanning, true crime author on Masters of True Crime

Exhaustively researched, each storyteller brings their own unique prose to these pages, creating what will soon become a true crime classic. — Kevin M. Sullivan, true crime author on Masters of True Crime

This book should be a mandatory purchase and read for any true-crime buff. — Steven A. Egger, Ph.D., associate professor on Masters of True Crime

Incredible cases, psychopathic killers, unwitting victims, along with the very best writers, make for an exciting, no-holds-barred, soon-to-be true-crime classic. — Dan Zupansky, host of True Murder on Masters of True Crime

An indispensable sourcebook for anyone interested in American homicide, from law-enforcement professionals to armchair criminologists. — Harold Schechter, true crime historian on The Dynamics of Murder

* * *

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1: Mass Murder in the Sky: The Bombing of Flight 629

Chapter 2: Killers of the Lonely Hearts: The Tale of Serial Killers Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck

Chapter 3: Murder of a Star Quarterback: The Tragic Tale of Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi

Chapter 4: Murder on Cromwell Street: The Chilling Story of Serial Killers Fred and Rosemary West

Chapter 5: The Gold Special Train Robbery: Deadly Crimes of the D'Autremont Brothers

Chapter 6: The Most Wanted Killers: The Serial Crimes of Alton Coleman and Debra Denise Brown

Chapter 7: Murder in Bellevue: The Killing of Alan and Diane Johnson

The Sex Slave Murders: The True Story of Serial Killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego – bonus excerpt

Dead in Kihei: An Eddie Naku Maui Mystery – bonus excerpt

The Wrong End of a Gun – bonus mystery short story

Notes

About the Author

INTRODUCTION

Murder and Menace: Riveting True Crime Tales, Volume Two is the second book in a series that includes bestselling historical and modern-day true crime stories that have been previously published by award-winning criminologist and bestselling crime writer R. Barri Flowers, but are now together in one powerful collection for the first time as some of the author's most highly regarded narrative nonfiction real life tales of criminality and victimization.

Mass Murder in the Sky: The Bombing of Flight 629 tells the unbelievable and horrifying tale for all aboard a United Air Lines plane in 1955 when an act of vengeance by a ruthless and unlikely killer is carried out.

Killers of the Lonely Hearts: The Tale of Serial Killers Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck is the gripping story of sex, jealousy, and preying on lonely women by murderous con artist lovers during the 1940s and the ultimate price they paid.

Murder of a Star Quarterback: The Tragic Tale of Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi tells the riveting story of an NFL sports legend, his young mistress, jealousy, money, and desperation that spins dangerously out of control in Nashville, leading to deadly results.

Murder on Cromwell Street: The Chilling Story of Serial Killers Fred and Rosemary West chronicles the twisted lives of Britain's most infamous serial killer couple and the horrors they inflicted upon their young female captives, including bondage and murder, over two decades before the terror finally came to an end.

The Gold Special Train Robbery: Deadly Crimes of the D'Autremont Brothers tells the harrowing story of a daring robbery by determined siblings in search of gold on the Southern Pacific Railroad Express Train bound for San Francisco in 1923 that ended in murder and mayhem.

The Most Wanted Killers: The Serial Crimes of Alton Coleman and Debra Denise Brown relives the frightening rape, robbery, and murder spree by an African American serial killer couple over a two month stretch, while making the FBI's Most Wanted List.

Murder in Bellevue: The Killing of Alan and Diane Johnson tells the horrific tale of an Idaho couple who were gunned down in their own home in a shocking and unforgettable case of family violence that turned deadly.

Also included is a bonus excerpt from the author's bestselling true crime book, The Sex Slave Murders: The True Story of Serial Killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego, a deadly married couple who preyed upon teenage girls and young women to fulfill perverted sex slave fantasies.

Other bonus excerpts include, Dead in Kihei, from the Eddie Naku Maui Mystery series and a noir mystery short story, The Wrong End of a Gun, by R. Barri Flowers.

Stay tuned for the upcoming third volume of Murder and Menace: Riveting True Crime Tales.

Chapter One

MASS MURDER IN THE SKY

The Bombing of Flight 629

As a literary criminologist for more than thirty years, I have studied and written about many of the most infamous crimes and criminals in U.S. history. One that has always remained with me is a pre-9/11 era bombing of an airliner in flight over Denver, killing all aboard. Though this is stunning and tragic enough, the circumstances and motivation of the mass murderer are even more shocking.

In this true crime short, I revisit this frightening case of mass murder in the sky as part of our dark history and a forerunner to similar acts of terrorism in modern times.

* * *

Jack Gilbert Graham has a unique place in American aviation history. He was not a pilot. Nor was he a passenger on that fateful day in the fall of 1955. Graham's impact was that of a mass murderer. He planted a dynamite bomb in luggage belonging to his mother, who was taking a flight from Denver, Colorado to Portland, Oregon, with her ultimate destination being Alaska to visit her daughter.

Graham's mother never made it to her destination, nor did the other passengers and crew. The plane exploded shortly after takeoff, killing all forty-four aboard instantly. And so began one of our nation's most shocking acts of terrorism.

Jack Graham's motivation was apparently to collect insurance on his mother's death, though some believe it was a difficult relationship between Graham and his mother that led to the tragedy. Either way, the massive explosion not only cost many others their lives, but has also played on the collective psyches of Americans ever since.

Graham's mass murder did not go unpunished. He received the same fate as his mother and the other passengers aboard the ill-fated airliner, when he was executed in Colorado's gas chamber less than two years later.

Now the chilling story of Jack Graham and his date with infamy...

* * *

The evening of November 1, 1955, must have seemed pretty routine for those making their way through Denver, Colorado's Stapleton Airfield, which later became Stapleton Airport. This was likely just as true for the thirty-nine passengers who boarded Flight 629 bound for Portland, Oregon, as well as the five crew members. After all, there was nothing particularly unusual that would have tipped their hand that this was anything but an ordinary flight, much less one for which no one would arrive safely at their destination.

Flight 629 was a United Air Lines four-engine prop Douglas DC-6B airliner. Originating from New York City's LaGuardia Airport, it had made a stop in Chicago before flying to Denver without incident. Piloting the plane was a World War II veteran with extensive experience in the cockpit named Lee Hall.

At 6:52 p.m., Flight 629 took off smoothly for the 1,029 mile trip to Portland, nicknamed the Rose City. It took only minutes before the plane was cruising at 4,000 feet under good visibility. The crew, which included Hall, a copilot, and three stewardesses, went about their respective duties in anticipation of a nice, routine flight that would take them and their passengers over Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho.

The passengers, taking note of the signs that gave them the green light to unbuckle their seatbelts and smoke if they so desired, likely took advantage of the opportunity. They were ready to relax, receive refreshments, and otherwise enjoy the rest of the journey.

It was a flight that was supposed to take about three hours to complete. With the weather clear and the wind calm, there seemed to be no cause for concern as the aircraft passed over Longmont, a city in northern Colorado, thirty-one miles from Denver and thirty miles from Wyoming.

Then disaster struck. Eleven minutes into the flight, the plane exploded, sending flaming wreckage hurling down onto fields of sugar beets and farmland near Longmont.

Everyone aboard United Air Lines Flight 629 was killed instantly, including an infant traveling with his mother to visit the child's father who was in the military and assigned to a post in the South Pacific; and a passenger named Daisie King, who had hoped to visit her daughter in Alaska, but never made it for reasons that would shock the nation.¹

* * *

John Jack Gilbert Graham was born in Denver, Colorado, on January 23, 1932. He was only three years of age when his father, William Graham, passed away without warning. Graham ended up in an orphanage because his mother, Daisie, was not able to adequately care for him. He was in a series of foster homes till age thirteen when it appeared as though his life was changing for the better.

It was then that Daisie, who had married a man named John Earl King in 1941, took Jack out of the orphanage and they moved to a nice sized ranch in northeastern Colorado. However, life was anything but easy for the family as financial difficulties plagued them, forcing King to sell off his land, a little at a time, till the entire ranch was sold by 1950.

The family relocated to Yampa, a tiny town about a hundred miles from Denver. Daisie King proved to be a shrewd businesswoman, finding success in real estate and a drive-in restaurant at 581 South Federal Boulevard in Denver, among other ventures. In the following years, the relationship between Graham and his mother would grow strained, with money or lack of it often at the core. Pent up animosities and greed would later play a role in an unthinkable disaster in the sky.

* * *

According to an article titled, Sabotage: The Downing of Flight 629, Captain Lee Hall's initial indication that something was very wrong was the sound of a loud noise that appeared to come from underneath the airplane. After the plane shook violently for a few seconds, Hall's seat became unhinged and slammed into the cockpit's metal ceiling. Beneath the pilot, the airliner, moving at several hundred miles per hour...erupted into one gigantic blast[, ripping] the fuselage apart into a thousand pieces [and] sending debris, luggage and passengers tumbling into space. Both engines separated from the wings and the propellers continued turn[ing] as they began their long, spinning descent to the ground below.²

Wreckage stretched far and wide, covering more than two miles of Weld County's flat ground. The whole tail section of the plane had broken apart from the main fuselage, with huge sharp pieces spread across farmland as if to illustrate the magnitude of the deafening explosion.

The locals were horrified and in disbelief. According to farmer Conrad Hopp, who was working his fields just outside of Longmont, It sounded like a bomb went off.... I turned around and it blew up in the air!³

Twenty-two-year-old Kenneth Hopp, who was the first person on the scene, said he ran out of the house and saw the burning plane...nosing toward the ground all on fire, with sparks trailing!⁴

Another witness, Bud Lang, told the Denver Post, it looked like a shooting star; while farmer Arlo Boda noted that pieces of the plane were all over these farms. He recalled later digging up part of the engine manifold.⁵

Under such violent and instantaneous circumstances, survival for