MA Arthur Oker, 57,Rockport, 21 May 1932

[Mom24]

This case from Rockport MA is an interesting case that I read about years ago. Arthur F Oker was a tailor from Finland and he had a shop on Main Street in 1932. It was a Saturday, the busiest day of the week for shopping, when Arthur failed to return home for lunch. His son went down to the shop but the door was locked. He went back home, retrieved an extra set of keys and opened the door to find his father laying on the floor bleeding, the safe open and missing $17. Arthur died on the way to the hospital. It was determined that he had been stabbed by a pair of scissors, but the weapon was never found. Of course being a small town rumors began and one woman became convinced she knew who Oker's killer was. At a church dinner she told everyone she was going to the police the following morning, however that night she was bludgeoned to death and burned in her home. The case file for this case were destroyed a decade later by the top police officer because he felt reputations would be ruined if the files ever became public knowledge. Although the case files are gone, the evidence remains and is open to the public. A number of people in town say they know who it is but won't speak his name until he dies for fear of retribution.
Who killed Arthur Oker and Augusta Johnson? - The Boston Globe

Essex County Chronicles: Area had its share of murder mysteries in last century

Rockport’s Murder Mystery: Going to the Grave – Courtney Scott – Medium

 

[Mom24]

More on the cold case here:
Rockport’s Murder Mystery: Going to the Grave – Courtney Scott – Medium

 

[Mom24]

 

[Mom24]

Arthur Oker in the smaller pic, and the newspaper men in the larger pic.

 

[Mom24]

The underground tunnel police believe the murderer used to escape.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Arthur...

 

[GlostaFitz]

This case is the subject of an upcoming book, "Rockport's Main Street Murder," to be released later this year by Arcadia Publishing.

Couple of tidbits:

(small correction) In May 1932 Arthur Oker was beaten to death with a blunt instrument, not stabbed with sissors. At the time the murder weapon was thought to be a hatchet or hammer. (Hatchets and hammers figure prominiently in Rockport history, due to the area’s quarrying industry and 19th Cent. Temperance activist Hannah Jumper.)

It’s important to point out Arthur Oker was president of of the Rockport’s Swedish Congregational Church.

The other victim was Ada Johnson, a Swedish immigrant affiliated with the same church. She was attacked in her home, beaten to death with a hatchet or hammer and her body set on fire on Nov 1, 1933. The previous evening (Halloween) she had attended a church party.

The two murders lead to the largest manhunt in MA history, in which 1000+ structures in Rockport were searched and 3000+ residents questioned by 50 Massachusetts State Police troopers.

It is true that most of the town’s police files on the case were destroyed. However, the authors were able to reconstruct the cases by researching hundreds of newspaper articles, uncovering old church archives and locating state police files though a public records request.

I’ll post more updates as the book gets closer to publication

 

[GlostaFitz]

The book on this cold case is coming out March 25, 2025, published by History Press. More info here:

Murder in Rockport, Massachusetts

Cold Case CluesOn May 21, 1932, Arthur Oker, a mild-mannered Finnish tailor, was brutally murdered in his shop in the small seaside town of Rockport, Massachusetts. While this unsolved crime terrified local residents, their fears increased after another horrifying murder, that of Swedish...

www.arcadiapublishing.com

 

[bettyboop]

The book on this cold case is coming out March 25, 2025, published by History Press. More info here:

Murder in Rockport, Massachusetts

Cold Case CluesOn May 21, 1932, Arthur Oker, a mild-mannered Finnish tailor, was brutally murdered in his shop in the small seaside town of Rockport, Massachusetts. While this unsolved crime terrified local residents, their fears increased after another horrifying murder, that of Swedish...

www.arcadiapublishing.com

@GlostaFitz, welcome to websleuths!! I believe you are one of the authors of this book, am I right? It sounds intriguing, and although I have lived in Massachusetts all my life , I just learned about this case today from this thread. I also have to say I have been to Rockport a few times and I highly recommend it as a wonderful day trip for anyone. It is a gorgeous little town with wonderful
shops, although I have't been in ages, I remember my visits fondly. JMO MOO

 

[GlostaFitz]

@GlostaFitz, welcome to websleuths!! I believe you are one of the authors of this book, am I right? It sounds intriguing, and although I have lived in Massachusetts all my life , I just learned about this case today from this thread. I also have to say I have been to Rockport a few times and I highly recommend it as a wonderful day trip for anyone. It is a gorgeous little town with wonderful
shops, although I have't been in ages, I remember my visits fondly. JMO MOO

Hi @bettyboop - thanks for the greetings! Yes I am one of the authors of the book and yes Rockport makes a wonderful day trip. It's a beautiful village - but with its share of secrets!

 

[Brightchaser47]

This case from Rockport MA is an interesting case that I read about years ago. Arthur F Oker was a tailor from Finland and he had a shop on Main Street in 1932. It was a Saturday, the busiest day of the week for shopping, when Arthur failed to return home for lunch. His son went down to the shop but the door was locked. He went back home, retrieved an extra set of keys and opened the door to find his father laying on the floor bleeding, the safe open and missing $17. Arthur died on the way to the hospital. It was determined that he had been stabbed by a pair of scissors, but the weapon was never found. Of course being a small town rumors began and one woman became convinced she knew who Oker's killer was. At a church dinner she told everyone she was going to the police the following morning, however that night she was bludgeoned to death and burned in her home. The case file for this case were destroyed a decade later by the top police officer because he felt reputations would be ruined if the files ever became public knowledge. Although the case files are gone, the evidence remains and is open to the public. A number of people in town say they know who it is but won't speak his name until he dies for fear of retribution.
Who killed Arthur Oker and Augusta Johnson? - The Boston Globe

Essex County Chronicles: Area had its share of murder mysteries in last century

Rockport’s Murder Mystery: Going to the Grave – Courtney Scott – Medium

Gotta love it when LE decides reputations are more important than someone's life! Makes me think maybe the "not quite right" son of prominent family or LE might be responsible. JMO
ETA: I'm surprised but glad the evidence was saved.

 

[Tricia]

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT. COLD CASE INVESTIGATOR PAUL HOLES ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS AT 8:00 PM EASTERN FOR WEBSLEUTHS ASK ME ANYTHING.
If you want to ask Paul a question, post it on THIS THREAD.
Then, tonight 8 pm Eastern, watch THIS THREAD as Paul answers your questions.
We'll be giving away a couple of copies of Paul's book. The way to enter is to post your question.
See you tonight at 8 PM Eastern on Websleuths first ever Ask Me Anything

 

[GlostaFitz]

Gotta love it when LE decides reputations are more important than someone's life! Makes me think maybe the "not quite right" son of prominent family or LE might be responsible. JMO
ETA: I'm surprised but glad the evidence was saved.

Not sure that the remaining evidence (a snippet of hair, a skull shard, and a pair of burnt eyeglasses) is "open to the public." It was in the possession of the Rockport Police Department in the 1990's, but it unconfirmed if its still in their possession. The department did toss out all their photographs and documentation from the cases by 1944. The upcoming book "Murder in Rockport Massachusetts" does have information from the surviving MA State Police files. The State Police actually took newsreel footage of the case investigators back in 1933 - that would be amazing to find.