Unearthly Upstate: True Crime

Episode 5: Murders at the Ski Lodge

SUMMARY: If you have any information about this case please contact the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Olean by calling (716) 373-2552.  Please refer to SJS# 3021805 Two workers at a ski resort were grooming the trails overnight. Their bodies were discovered the following morning.  This case is still open. SOURCES FOR THE SHOW: Holliday, Anne. “NYSP Cold Case Tuesday: The Wing Hollow Murders.” WESB B107.5-FM/1490-AM | WBRR 100.1 The Hero, 30 June 2020, https://wesb.com/2020/06/30/nysp-cold-case-tuesday-the-wing-hollow-murders/. JusticeWillBeServed. “NY - Ny - Stephen Bender, 30, & Michael Forness, 29, Allegany, 6 Feb 1978.” Websleuths, Websleuths, 4 Nov. 2021, https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ny-stephen-bender-30-michael-forness-29-allegany-6-feb-1978.318429/. “Police Still Probing 1978 Murders at Allegany Ski Resort.” Olean Times Herald, 11 Oct. 2016, https://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/police-still-probing-1978-murders-at-allegany-ski-resort/article_8737db5a-8b24-11e6-98a3-b3a8bb4c0fb0.html. Potter, Eva. Loading..., 4 Feb. 2016, http://ellicottvilletimes.com/grosstalski-wingwing-hollow-a-storied-history-races-parties-and-unsolved-murder/. “State & Union: Ski Wing Murders Now 40 Years Old.” Olean Times Herald, 6 Feb. 2018, https://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/state-union-ski-wing-murders-now-years-old/article_deeabab0-0afe-11e8-b72f-0fd670581fc3.html MUSIC: "Comfortable Mystery 3" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Episode 04: What Happened to Flossie Wilbur?

SUMMARY: We have all had that one neighbor that makes it hard to live next to them.  Flossie Wilbur was one such neighbor.  One day in August 195 she disappeared.  Even with a confession, this case remains open to this day. SOURCES FOR THE SHOW: If you have any information about this case you can contact: New York State Police - Amity. Phone: (585) 344-6200.  Case number: AWEL85-410 ANDERSONjanderson@tylerpaper.com, JOHN, and Zach Lyman Films. “'Where's Flossie?' Solved as Neighbor Admits to Alleged Murder.” TylerPaper.com, July 8, 2020. https://tylerpaper.com/news/crime/where-s-flossie-solved-as-neighbor-admits-to-alleged-murder/article_d1ae2a10-c17e-11ea-b1dc-d392d5e21feb.html. “Cold Case Tuesday: State Police Feature Flossie Wilbur Case.” Wellsville Daily News, December 6, 2016. Fanton, Ben. “Vanished Flossie Wilbur Was a Little Hard to Take, Right up until the Last Time She Was Seen Alive.” Buffalo News, August 23, 1992. https://buffalonews.com/news/vanished-flossie-wilbur-was-a-little-hard-to-take-right-up-until-the-last-time/article_fdd20363-41b1-5f7a-a608-5642bd5e32d2.html. “Flossie A. Wilbur.” The Charley Project. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://charleyproject.org/case/flossie-a-wilbur. “Free & Enriching Programs for Kids Living in NYC's Low-Income Communities.” The Fresh Air Fund, January 26, 2023. https://freshair.org/. Herald, BOB CLARKOlean Times. “1985 Angelica Missing Woman Case Remains Cold after Search.” Olean Times Herald, April 17, 2021. https://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/1985-angelica-missing-woman-case-remains-cold-after-search/article_985c48f2-2b2c-56e4-b653-7e420e189c3f.html. JusticeWillBeServed. “NY - Ny - Flossie Wilbur, 75, Angelica, 24 Aug 1985.” Websleuths. Websleuths, July 11, 2020. https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ny-flossie-wilbur-75-angelica-24-aug-1985.323641/. kmaddox@syracuse.com, Kira Maddox |. “Groceries Only Sign of Western NY Woman Who Vanished 31 Years Ago, Troopers Say.” syracuse, December 6, 2016. https://www.syracuse.com/crime/2016/12/fresh_groceries_only_sign_of_western_ny_woman_who_vanished_31_years_ago_troopers.html. “The Palladium-Times. (Oswego-Fulton, N.Y.) 1969-Current, September 03, 1985, Page 3, Image 3.” The Palladium-times. (Oswego-Fulton, N.Y.) 1969-current, September 03, 1985, Page 3, Image 3 - NYS Historic Newspapers. The Palladium-Times, September 3, 1985. https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn84031482/1985-09-03/ed-1/seq-3/. Ross, Kathryn. “Flossie Wilbur Vanished While Emptying Her Car of Groceries.” Wellsville Daily News, March 25, 2010. Staff, Author: WGRZ. “NYSP Continue Investigation into 1985 Cold Case.” wgrz.com, July 10, 2020. https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/crime/nysp-continue-investigation-into-1985-cold-case-flossie-wilbur/71-0798caf2-6466-46f0-96aa-eb02d5fa9746. staff, Olean Times Herald. “Report: Deathbed Confession in 1985 Disappearance of Angelica Woman.” Olean Times Herald, July 9, 2020. https://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/report-deathbed-confession-in-1985-disappearance-of-angelica-woman/article_0c3f87b1-dad9-5738-a072-a8e96a36d738.html. MUSIC: "Comfortable Mystery 3" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Episode 03: The Last Woman Hanged In New York

SUMMARY: Roxalana Druse was the last woman hanged in New York.  She had committed a shocking crime, but her botched hanging convinced the public to change how executions were done. SOURCES FOR THE SHOW: Abbott, Geoffrey. 2006. Amazing True Stories of Female Executions. N.p.: Summersdale Publishers. Croyle, Johnathan. 2020. “1887: The botched hanging of Roxalana Druse helped open the way for the electric chair.” Syracuse.com. https://www.syracuse.com/living/2020/05/1887-the-botched-hanging-of-roxalana-druse-helped-open-the-way-for-the-electric-chair.html. McDonald, Marie. 2006. “1880s Roxalana Druce Murder Case Warren NY Herkimer County.” Herkimer County NYGenWeb. https://herkimer.nygenweb.net/warren/druseroxalana.html. “Murder of William Druse, 1884 - Part 1.” 2018. Local History Notes. http://smdlocalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/murder-of-william-druse-1884-part-1.html. “Murder of William Druse, 1884 - Part 2.” 2018. Local History Notes. http://smdlocalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/murder-of-william-druse-1884-part-2.html. “Murder of William Druse, 1884 - Part 3.” 2018. Local History Notes. http://smdlocalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/murder-of-william-druse-1884-part-3.html. “Murder of William Druse, 1884 - Part 4.” 2018. Local History Notes. http://smdlocalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/murder-of-william-druse-1884-part-4.html. “Murder of William Druse, 1884 - Part 5.” 2018. Local History Notes. http://smdlocalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-murder-of-william-druse-1884-part-5.html. “Murder of William Druse, 1884 - Part 6.” 2018. Local History Notes. http://smdlocalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2018_06_17_archive.htmll. Murray, Joanne. n.d. “1880s Roxana Druce Murder Case Warren NY Herkimer County.” Herkimer County NYGenWeb. Accessed December 17, 2022. https://herkimer.nygenweb.net/warren/drucemurder.html. “Roxalana Druse.” n.d. Murderpedia. Accessed December 17, 2022. https://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/druse-roxalana.htm. “Roxana Druse.” n.d. Wikipedia. Accessed December 17, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxana_Druse. The Utica Observer. 1885. “A Devil's Deed.” January 17, 1885, 5. https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031902/1885-01-17/ed-1/seq-5/. The Utica Observer. 1885. “The Druse Murder ” January 19, 1885, 5 https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031902/1885-01-19/ed-1/seq-5/ The Utica Observer. 1885. “The Druse Butchery” January 20, 1885, Page 6, https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031902/1885-01-20/ed-1/seq-6/ The Utica Observer. 1885. “A Brutal Woman” September 24, 1885, Page 5, https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031902/1885-09-24/ed-1/seq-5/ The Utica Observer. 1885. “The Druse Horror” September 25, 1885, Page 8, https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83045592/1885-09-25/ed-1/seq-8/ “William Druse: Murdered, Chopped Up, Burned, Thrown in a Swamp.” 2009. YesterYear Once More. https://yesteryearsnews.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/william-druse-murdered-chopped-up-burned-thrown-in-a-swamp/. MUSIC: "Comfortable Mystery 3" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Murder of Francis Colvin

SUMMARY: A body was found floating in the Seneca River near Baldwinsville, NY in the summer of 1874,  After the body was identified, the question was, who would kill the Civil War veteran and hermit? SOURCES FOR THE SHOW: “11th Cavalry Regiment:: New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center.” n.d. Accessed December 16, 2022. https://museum.dmna.ny.gov/unit-history/cavalry/11th-cavalry-regiment. [https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2734210966865032095/5434363466540205606#] Allen, J. 1875. “Linsday v. People of the State of N.Y, 63 N.Y. 143.” November 9, 1875. https://casetext.com/case/linsday-v-people-of-the-state-of-ny. [https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2734210966865032095/5434363466540205606#] “American Civil War Research Database.” n.d. Accessed December 16, 2022. https://civilwardata.com/active/hdsquery.dll?SoldierHistory?U&1730094. [https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2734210966865032095/5434363466540205606#] “Baldwinsville Homicide, The: Lindsay, Owen: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming:” n.d. Internet Archive. Accessed December 16, 2022. https://archive.org/details/baldwins00lind. [https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2734210966865032095/5434363466540205606#] “Geneva Courier. (Geneva, N.Y.) 1831-1904, July 15, 1874, Image 3.” 1874, no. 1874/07/15 (July): 3. “Eleventh New York Calvary.” n.d. Accessed December 16, 2022. https://museum.dmna.ny.gov/application/files/2315/4894/2925/11thCavCW_Roster.pdf. [https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2734210966865032095/5434363466540205606#] “The Baldwinsville Homicide.” n.d. Accessed December 16, 2022.  http://www.murderbygaslight.com/2020/08/the-baldwinsville-homicide.html Music: "Comfortable Mystery 3" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Yellow Bobby Sock

EPISODE 1: THE YELLOW BOBBY SOCK SUMMARY: A dismembered torso was found behind a chicken coop near Saratoga Springs, NY in 1946.  The single yellow bobby sock found on the body helped identify the victim. SOURCES FOR THE SHOW: “Plattsburgh Press-Republican. (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) 1942-1966, February 16, 1946, Image 1” 1946) “Ogdensburg Journal. (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) 1932-1971, January 14, 1946, Image 1.” 1946a, no. 1946/01/14 (January): 1. ———. 1946b, no. 1946/01/14 (January): 1. “Ogdensburg Journal. (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) 1932-1971, January 16, 1946, Image 1.” 1946, no. 1946/01/16 (January): 1. “Plattsburgh Press-Republican. (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) 1942-1966, February 16, 1946, Image 1.” 1946, no. 1946/02/16 (February): 1. “Plattsburgh Press-Republican. (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) 1942-1966, January 22, 1946, Image 1.” 1946, no. 1946/01/22 (January): 1. “Plattsburgh Press-Republican. (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) 1942-1966, January 24, 1946, Image 1.” 1946a, no. 1946/01/24 (January): 1. ———. 1946b, no. 1946/01/24 (January): 1. “San Pedro News Pilot 14 January 1946 — California Digital Newspaper Collection.” n.d. Accessed December 11, 2022. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19460114.2.17&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1. “Ticonderoga Sentinel. (Ticonderoga, Essex County, N.Y.) 188?-1982, January 17, 1946, Image 1.” 1946, no. 1946/01/17 (January): 1. MUSIC: "Comfortable Mystery 3" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/