ID ID - Lonnie Jones, 13, Orofino, September 1951

[Claudette]

Could she have misheard him? Could the name be Barrett? Or Derrick?

It could also be like "telephone" throughout the decades, started as Barrett and was misheard by people, or "misremembered".

 

[marie-chantal]

It could also be like "telephone" throughout the decades, started as Barrett and was misheard by people, or "misremembered".

Exactly! That's what I was thinking.

 

[Peter Brendt]

Question to someone from the area: I have no idea about Idaho, is there kind of cattle or pig farming around? Slashing throat from the dead angle without hesitation marks makes me wonder.

Peter

 

[kline]

Elsie was paroled until sept'52 to take care of the children

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...BAJ&pg=5256,2977671&dq=elsie+cunningham&hl=en

edited to add
Remember the knife found in Grangeville ? work was being done on the new Masonic Lodge there and a workman found it at the bottom of a form. Walter Cunningham was a carpenter, maybe he worked on the building too.

It would be great to find more info on this guy.

He sounds like a real piece of work. 10 kids. My God.
That name 'Walter Cunningham has been tickling my memory for the last couple of days.Its character in 'To Kill A Mockingbird' I think with the same name.
Great research Robin!

 

[Claudette]

Question to someone from the area: I have no idea about Idaho, is there kind of cattle or pig farming around? Slashing throat from the dead angle without hesitation marks makes me wonder.

Peter

I believe there were hesitation marks

 

[Peter Brendt]

I believe there were hesitation marks

Can we verify that in the one or other direction? It would make such a difference.

Peter

 

[marie-chantal]

Question to someone from the area: I have no idea about Idaho, is there kind of cattle or pig farming around? Slashing throat from the dead angle without hesitation marks makes me wonder.

Peter

There is a fair amount of agriculture in Idaho. Most of it is crops such as potatoes, but there is some dairy farming and some pig farming (but not as much pig farming as in the midwest).

 

[Peter Brendt]

There is a fair amount of agriculture in Idaho. Most of it is crops such as potatoes, but there is some dairy farming and some pig farming (but not as much pig farming as in the midwest).

Thank! Just to make sure, we're not sitting here on the peak of a Pinkton type iceberg, I would hate that.

Peter

 

[clueless]

I was reading back through the articles again and noticed something I don't think has been mentioned on here yet.... In the Sept 30, 1951 article, Lonnie's grandmother said that he was with a boy named Duane Wilfond from Kamiah. Maybe he knew the people Lonnie thought he was going to get a ride home from or saw someone talking to Lonnie or following them around. I wonder if he's still in the area and if kline could talk to him....

 

[Robin Hood]

I was reading back through the articles again and noticed something I don't think has been mentioned on here yet.... In the Sept 30, 1951 article, Lonnie's grandmother said that he was with a boy named Duane Wilfond from Kamiah. Maybe he knew the people Lonnie thought he was going to get a ride home from or saw someone talking to Lonnie or following them around. I wonder if he's still in the area and if kline could talk to him....

Also check the spelling, I'm sure I've seen it spelt Wilfong. Edited to add link
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=1682,2534426&dq=wilfong+kamiah&hl=en

This might be him, from LDS

first name: Dwaine
middle name: E
last name: Wilfong
birth date: 2 April 1938
social security number: 518-36-8305
place of issuance: Idaho
last residence: Culdesac, Nez Perce, Idaho
zip code of last residence: 83524
death date: 29 September 1999
estimated age at death: 61

I also think the name Jarrett ( in the article) could be Jared, a Tom Jared from Weippe graduated in '57 from Weippe high school.

For Peter Brendt...some have mentioned the war and how soldiers were taught to kill from behind with a knife.

 

[Peter Brendt]

Also check the spelling, I'm sure I've seen it spelt Wilfong. Edited to add link
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=1682,2534426&dq=wilfong+kamiah&hl=en

This might be him, from LDS

first name: Dwaine
middle name: E
last name: Wilfong
birth date: 2 April 1938
social security number: 518-36-8305
place of issuance: Idaho
last residence: Culdesac, Nez Perce, Idaho
zip code of last residence: 83524
death date: 29 September 1999
estimated age at death: 61

I also think the name Jarrett ( in the article) could be Jared, a Tom Jared from Weippe graduated in '57 from Weippe high school.

For Peter Brendt...some have mentioned the war and how soldiers were taught to kill from behind with a knife.

About the soldier thing: I am a little younger than WWII, but from behind and cutting the throat is more a Hollywood technique. If you cut a posts throat at night, the death raffle from that wound can be heard for easily 20 or more yards. Basically it's kind of a tracheotomy till the heart pumped out enough blood to let the victim die from hemorrhage. Thus, I remember, what my instructors said: Go for the kidney. And I know, this technique was already used in WWII. Left hand to cover the mouth, knee in the back, right hand stab to the kidney. Makes practically no noise.

Peter

 

[clueless]

Oh you're right! Sorry about the typo. I hate to see that he is deceased. I was hoping for a better lead.

 

[Robin Hood]

About the soldier thing: I am a little younger than WWII, but from behind and cutting the throat is more a Hollywood technique. If you cut a posts throat at night, the death raffle from that wound can be heard for easily 20 or more yards. Basically it's kind of a tracheotomy till the heart pumped out enough blood to let the victim die from hemorrhage. Thus, I remember, what my instructors said: Go for the kidney. And I know, this technique was already used in WWII. Left hand to cover the mouth, knee in the back, right hand stab to the kidney. Makes practically no noise.

Peter

Fair point.
Then there's the step father Del Marner, married Lonnie's mother in 1945. He was a meat cutter at some point. Lot's of meat being slaughtered at the time, lots of adds for meat in the old news.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AJ&pg=5539,355271&dq=marner+meat+cutter&hl=en

 

[The Shoat]

This is so interesting that I had to share my theory ....

I think Lonnie left the fair at closing -- say around 11 PM; by this time, he had somehow lost track of anyone who could give him a ride to his small, out of the way hamlet. The latest he could have eaten would be around 10 PM.

Poor little guy started walking home, hoping to get a ride along the way. He's heading from Orofino to Greer on HWY 12. Just a little kid on the side of the HWY.

The Killer on the Road spots him. I believe that he was heading to Orofino, so he would get a good front view of Lonnie. But, he doesn't react immediately - just keeps driving, in the opposite direction, thinking about it.

During this time, the two teenagers pick up Lonnie and drop him on the bridge near Greer. I don't believe that Lonnie was expecting to get a ride in Greer - the teenagers said so to excuse their callous behavior. They just didn't have time or gas to take Lonnie home. The time is now 12:40 AM

Now we know that he had undigested food in his stomach, so he had eaten at most four hours before died. The time of death was put about 1 AM; we can stretch to 2 AM, I guess. So, things happened very quickly.

Poor Lonnie is just waiting there (I don't think he gets to Greer) when the killer, who has made a U-turn on HWY 12, catches up and lures him into his vehicle.

The killer sexually assaults Lonnie in his car; that's where his fingers get messed up. And then drives back to the area where the body was found (in the direction of Orofino). Blindfolds him, walks him down to the river, and slits his throat in an expert way. He wipes his knife off on the leaves. He continues back to Orofino, where he was probably headed in the first place.

I think the newspapers concealed the sexual aspects of the crime, it was common in 1951. These papers were not True Confessions. We don't even know what grotesque position means in relation to the hands, one coroner said there were no signs of binding. I think the earlier news accounts were more honest and the later ones became more sanitized.

It was someone familiar with the area, but not necessarily local. Someone expert with a knife; everything else can be explained by opportunity / expediency and the ritualized aspect of the killing.

As to the killer - the teenagers probably had an alibi, Orrin probably just ran into the body -- his activities, his trying to get police attention, etc., don't make sense if he planned this.

Walter Cunningham looks good. So do any out-of-town visitors to the fair and carnies. Because, even though there were many better places to dump Lonnie, the killer wanted to get rid of the body quickly and probably did not want to get lost in the back roads.

It was a spur of the moment thrill kill -- probably didn't have a shovel with him; always keeps his knife in the car.

 

[The Shoat]

As mentioned earlier in the thread, Lonnie was living with his grandmother and probably born out of wedlock. And, some comment about "him raising himself."

I think this means that no one really looked after him. I think that he engaged in high risk behavior, being on his own, etc. Unfortunately, that one night, when he should have just gone to the police station and waited for someone to come or someone to take him home, he decided to start walking home.

Another thought came to mind. While I don't think the killer was on the prowl, he might have done this before at fairs. Except, he probably picked up young carnies, youths that wouldn't be missed. He might have gone there expressly for that purpose but, ended up with a local boy.

BTW, the community seemed to spend a lot of time searching and investigating and asking for outside help.

 

[jking]

This case has really gotten to me. It is so sad. That poor little boy was let down by so many people, people who should have been looking out for him.

 

[kline]

Question to someone from the area: I have no idea about Idaho, is there kind of cattle or pig farming around? Slashing throat from the dead angle without hesitation marks makes me wonder.

Peter

Believe me that 'livestock' manner of dispatchment has never been lost on me.
Ive had a gut feeling about that from the gate.

 

[kline]

This is so interesting that I had to share my theory ....

I think Lonnie left the fair at closing -- say around 11 PM; by this time, he had somehow lost track of anyone who could give him a ride to his small, out of the way hamlet. The latest he could have eaten would be around 10 PM.

Poor little guy started walking home, hoping to get a ride along the way. He's heading from Orofino to Greer on HWY 12. Just a little kid on the side of the HWY.

The Killer on the Road spots him. I believe that he was heading to Orofino, so he would get a good front view of Lonnie. But, he doesn't react immediately - just keeps driving, in the opposite direction, thinking about it.

During this time, the two teenagers pick up Lonnie and drop him on the bridge near Greer. I don't believe that Lonnie was expecting to get a ride in Greer - the teenagers said so to excuse their callous behavior. They just didn't have time or gas to take Lonnie home. The time is now 12:40 AM

Now we know that he had undigested food in his stomach, so he had eaten at most four hours before died. The time of death was put about 1 AM; we can stretch to 2 AM, I guess. So, things happened very quickly.

Poor Lonnie is just waiting there (I don't think he gets to Greer) when the killer, who has made a U-turn on HWY 12, catches up and lures him into his vehicle.

The killer sexually assaults Lonnie in his car; that's where his fingers get messed up. And then drives back to the area where the body was found (in the direction of Orofino). Blindfolds him, walks him down to the river, and slits his throat in an expert way. He wipes his knife off on the leaves. He continues back to Orofino, where he was probably headed in the first place.

I think the newspapers concealed the sexual aspects of the crime, it was common in 1951. These papers were not True Confessions. We don't even know what grotesque position means in relation to the hands, one coroner said there were no signs of binding. I think the earlier news accounts were more honest and the later ones became more sanitized.

It was someone familiar with the area, but not necessarily local. Someone expert with a knife; everything else can be explained by opportunity / expediency and the ritualized aspect of the killing.

As to the killer - the teenagers probably had an alibi, Orrin probably just ran into the body -- his activities, his trying to get police attention, etc., don't make sense if he planned this.

Walter Cunningham looks good. So do any out-of-town visitors to the fair and carnies. Because, even though there were many better places to dump Lonnie, the killer wanted to get rid of the body quickly and probably did not want to get lost in the back roads.

It was a spur of the moment thrill kill -- probably didn't have a shovel with him; always keeps his knife in the car.

Great scenario!
And for all we know may be very close to what happened.
Your theory also works with a local coming from or going to Weippe or Peirce.
Maybe it was an out of towner like you say visiting someone up on the hill.
Ill bet the mechanics of the killer spotting Lonnie, reconitoring then picking him up probably were very close to what youve described.

 

[kline]

This case has really gotten to me. It is so sad. That poor little boy was let down by so many people, people who should have been looking out for him.

Truer words were never spoken. Thank you for your interest in the case.

 

[kline]

Fair point.
Then there's the step father Del Marner, married Lonnie's mother in 1945. He was a meat cutter at some point. Lot's of meat being slaughtered at the time, lots of adds for meat in the old news.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AJ&pg=5539,355271&dq=marner+meat+cutter&hl=en

Robin your research and grasp of these family connections blows my mind between you and Ausgirl you put me to shame.
And yeah,im glad im not the only one to whom all these meat and live stock connotations keep jumping out at!