IL IL - Geraldine Patton Williams, 43, West Frankfort, 14 April 1963

[Luckyzmom]

Welcome to WS blueangel70. Great post ! Thanks very much

 

[81npool]

Was there only one person involved? Previous posts indicate potential cover up and continued hush hush to this day. Was it a crime of passion? Many were evidently suspected. Obviously a lot of unanswered questions. Previous posts stated there was censorship by a local community website. Why? Did they need a pathologist from out of state? The who to the why!

 

[indysales]

You think she would have at least turned the saw off when she was done. This is as good as the story I posted about my parents' friend who was found in his underwear on his front lawn, with a bullet having passed from his lower back, up through his body, and exiting his chest. A rifle was found on the porch about 25 feet away. He also had bruises and cuts over most of his upper body. That was a suicide, too. I guess he sat on the rifle on the porch, pulled the trigger, stood the rifle up by the door, but then had the courtesy to bleed out on the lawn.

The results of the inquest should be public record, in the Coroner's office.

Found this buried - forgive the typos in it it was taken from some oddball newspaper archive site that just copied the text verbatim and as it ran too close to the next column some words look like they attached from another article. I included the visual, this appeared in the Southern Illinoisan on April 26, 1963

Jury Declines To Rule On Decapitation A coroner's jury Thursday night refused to decide whether the decapitation of Mrs.Geraldine Patton Williams of West Frankfort was murder, suicide or an accident. The jury returned an "open verdict," despite being urged by the state's attornev to decide on the reason for the death. The body of Mrs. Williams was found April 14 in the grocery store she operated at 1716 E Main St., West Frankfort. The 43- year-old widow had been beheaded by an electric meat-cutting saw. Between 150 and 200 people crowded the City Hall courtroom to hear the testimony of 11 wit nesses, torcner tusene uorris was assisted dv biaie s auv. Joseph Hickman in conducting the inquest. Olen Shelton, a customer in the store, said he was there just prior to Mrs. Williams' customary 10 p.m. closing time. He said he saw nothing unusual in her behavior. Harlan Cardin, another custom er, said ne saw a woman in tne store who "looked real scared" and had a "wild look." He said he believed the woman was Mrs. Williams. Mrs. Brenda Wilkerson, an employee at the market, said she worked until 10 p.m. that night. She said Mrs. Williams "seemed a little strange to me," but said her behavior was not unusual.

No Threats Mrs. Cleo Killion, a longtime friend of the victim and an employe at the store for eight years, said she knew of no threats against Mrs. Williams nor any motives for a suicide. Assistant Police Chief Arthur Marks said he found no indications of a struggle and "couldn't find one thing out of place" in the store or apartment. He said change in an open cash register drawer appeared undisturbed. Marks said he would not discount either murder or suicide but said "no one's proved to me yet that she did it herself." Sheriff Ray Carrell testified he and Hickman had interrogated one man who reportedly had annoyed Mrs. Williams in her store eight months ago but they said they were satisfied the man was not involved in her death. Dr. Frederick Kiechle, an Evansville pathologist, fixed the time of death at about 6 a.m. Sunday, give or take three or four hours." He said he found no evidence of injuries to the head or brain, sexual assault, smothering or asphyxiation, damage to internal organs, and no evidence of corrosive poisons or pills. Suicide by cutting the throat is "a common occurence," he said, and "if a person had sufficient resolve, they could retain control 'of thcir motion long enough to dec", opinion was the death was suicide but he would not rule out murder. Thomas E. Coleman, supervisor death was suicide. "There was no evidence whatsoever that would indicate foul play" or that she was forced into I Hickman told the jury it was ihis opinion that they could return one of three verdicts homicide, suicide or accidental death. He assailed "evasive verdicts" and said he believed a death certificate would not be recognized bv ternatives were cited. The all-male jury deliberated 45 minutes, after nearly four hours of testimony was presented. "We find the evidence presented Inconclusive. Therefore we jcannot reach a positive decision 'as to the manner in which Mrs. Williams came to her death," they reported. Hickman said he is closing his files on the case, "subject to any further evidence." Dorris said he plans to sign the death certificate using the jury's "open verdict" wording. All six jurors said they are presenting their fee checks to the Salvation Army. One juror said they did not want to receive money for thcir services in this case-

 

[Wickedwoman]

I am gathering some research for a potential writing project on a murder case which happened in my small hometown. An employee of a small neighborhood grocery store was found beheaded by the meat cutter. (sounds like an episode of CSI doesn't it?). This occured in the early 1960's. There were a couple of suspects but no arrests were ever made.

I am currently gathering facts that were reported in the local papers at the time.

I haven't gotten the nerve to question the local police department. I'm not sure what rights the general public has to crime files such as those.

Any suggestions on what to do next?

 

[Wickedwoman]

My main problem with this case is if she did actually cut her own head off with the meat saw (which I don’t believe is what happened). How did her head get neatly placed on a shelf a foot or more away. I know for a fact that unlike chickens humans can’t run around after their head has been removed. I have friends from frankfort and they remember this case and there was talk of someone wanting to buy the store out from Mrs Patton after she lost her husband but she didn’t want to sell. Might be an avenue to look into. I don’t know who bought it afterwards or who was wanting to buy it. I wasn’t even born when this happened. I too have heard it’s been a big cover up of some influential people in town and I seem to remember something about a journalism class at the high school was doing a research project on the case and the instructor was pulled aside and advised if she enjoyed her job she would pick a different project. That could be true or could be rumor.

 

[Wickedwoman]

I am gathering some research for a potential writing project on a murder case which happened in my small hometown. An employee of a small neighborhood grocery store was found beheaded by the meat cutter. (sounds like an episode of CSI doesn't it?). This occured in the early 1960's. There were a couple of suspects but no arrests were ever made.

I am currently gathering facts that were reported in the local papers at the time.

I haven't gotten the nerve to question the local police department. I'm not sure what rights the general public has to crime files such as those.

Any suggestions on what to do next?

I grew up in the area and I'm too young to have been born when this happened but I have a friend from West Frankfort and she told me that one person of interest among community members that were not buying the ridiculous suicide decision was someone that had been trying to buy her store out but she refused. She also said that after her death they did end up with that property. The other person was as said before a person of apparent power in West Frankfort. This seemed to be the more popular opinion, however it was never spoken of in public for fear of retaliation. From what I understand this person passed away a few years ago but for some reason they still won't speak his name. One other bit of interest I read about was a few years back one of the high school teachers assigned a research project of this case to her class. She was then called to the office and advised if she enjoyed her job she would change the subject and never bring it up in class again. My personal opinion (and everyone has one) there is absolutely no possible way this could be suicide. For one thing when the blade started cutting you natural instinct would be to jerk back not lay there and let it keep going. Statistically women don't commit suicide in such bloody, gory ways. They prefer pills or something like that. Most obvious I don't think after she was decapitated she walked more than a foot away from where her body was found placed her head neatly and upright on a shelf then walked back, turned around and fell where she was found. As for your rights to the records from the case. I believe according to the freedom of information act anyone has the rights to those records. They may be redacted but you should be able to get them. I've wanted to look more into this case as well.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Geraldine...it's now been over 58 years.

 

[81npool]

Any updates on this cold case?

 

[Richard]

Geraldine Patton Williams, 43
Murdered 14 April 1963

Geraldine Patton Williams
BIRTH 17 Mar 1920
West Frankfort, Franklin County, Illinois, USA
DEATH 14 Apr 1963 (aged 43)
West Frankfort, Franklin County, Illinois, USA
BURIAL
Tower Heights Cemetery
West Frankfort, Franklin County, Illinois, USA

LINK:
Geraldine Patton Williams (1920-1963) - Find a...

 

[delightfullychaotic]

i have always thought this case was off and something definitely not right. Who cuts off their own head as a way of suicide?

 

[cenazoic]

Sorry for the terrible quality, but here's a pic of Geraldine from the 15 April 1963 Southern Illinoisan:

seem to remember something about a journalism class at the high school was doing a research project on the case and the instructor was pulled aside and advised if she enjoyed her job she would pick a different project. That could be true or could be rumor.

The research project part is true! Attached a story about it from 1997.

From Find-a-Grave, here's more modern picture of the store:

 

[delightfullychaotic]

Apr 15, 1963, page 3 - Southern Illinoisan at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com

View the digital scanned newspaper from Southern Illinoisan dated Apr 15, 1963, page 3.

www.newspapers.com

Southern Illinoisan 16 Apr 1963, page Page 3 - Newspapers.com

View the digital scanned newspaper from Southern Illinoisan dated 16 Apr 1963, page Page 3.

www.newspapers.com

Southern Illinoisan 26 Apr 1963, page Page 3 - Newspapers.com

View the digital scanned newspaper from Southern Illinoisan dated 26 Apr 1963, page Page 3.

www.newspapers.com