Minnesota's Most Notorious: Where Blood Runs Cold

One of Minnesota's most fascinating unsolved murder cases began on the morning of December 9, 1937, when firefighters discovered the charred body of 31-year-old Ruth Munson in an abandoned Saint Paul hotel. As the investigation deepened, evidence would surface that suggested that Ruth had lived a very secret life. My guest, Roger Barr, is the author of "A Murder on the Hill: The Secret Life and Mysterious Death of Ruth Munson." He utilized an extensive collection of police files to piece this 1930s-era investigation together. Purchase the book here through the MNHS Press website: https://shop.mnhs.org/products/a-murder-on-the-hill Prefer the ebook version? You can get it here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Hill-Secret-Mysterious-Munson-ebook/dp/B0CTPYV2HN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

On June 2, 1916, forty mostly immigrant mineworkers at the St. James Mine in Aurora, Minnesota, walked off the job. This seemingly small labor disturbance would mushroom into one of the region’s, if not the nation’s, most contentious and significant battles between organized labor and management in the early twentieth century. My guest, Gary Kaunoen, is an International Falls labor historian and author of the book "Flames of Discontent: The 1916 Minnesota Iron Ore Strike". He talks about the origin of the conflict, the Finnish immigrant miners who fought mining company forces with help from the Industrial Workers of the World (aka "The Wobblies"), and how the deadly conflict ultimately ended.  The author's University of Minnesota Press page: https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/flames-of-discontent [https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/flames-of-discontent] Northern Minnesota's Labor Wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AklJBH6SBGA [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AklJBH6SBGA] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

My guest is prolific author Larry Millett. His knowledge of Twin Cities architecture and history is unequalled in Minnesota, and he has used his knowledge to write some of the best local history books in the last thirty years.  We initially discuss downtown Minneapolis' lost crown jewel, the spectacular Northwestern Guaranty Loan Building (which would later become the Metropolitan) and how it was built through the shady dealings of real estate speculator Louis Menage - only to be torn down in 1962, along with the tragic destruction of the rest of the historic Gateway District.  He documents its existence in his book "Metropolitan Dreams: The Scandalous Rise and Stunning Fall of a Minneapolis Masterpiece".  Then we move on to some of his other fascinating books, including "Strange Days, Dangerous Nights: Photos from the Speed Graphic Era", "Murder Has a Public Face: Crime and Punishment in the Speed Graphic Era", and his series of novels that brings Sherlock Holmes to Minnesota to solve crimes.  More about Larry Millett can be found here at his website, including his history blog: https://www.larrymillett.com/ If you'd like to begin his Sherlock Holmes series, the first book is called "Sherlock Holmes & the Red Demon". Buy it at your local bookstore or here: https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Fesler-Lampert-Minnesota-Heritage/dp/0816674833 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

It was a question asked by many Minnesotans in 1974, including her parents. How could Camilla Hall, the sweet and caring daughter of a small-town Lutheran pastor, become a member of the radical Symbionese Liberation Army? The abductors of Patty Hearst? The gun-toting militants who would end up battling police to death in Los Angeles? My guest is award-winning Mankato author Rachael Hanel, author of "Not the Camilla We Knew: One Woman's Path From Small-Town America to the Symbionese Liberation Army". She tells us about Camilla and her journey from Minnesota social worker to member of Los Angeles's notorious SLA. The author's website:  https://www.rachaelhanel.com/ [https://www.rachaelhanel.com/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

In August of 1894, a young woman was found brutally murdered on a sand dune at Minnesota Point in Duluth. Over the next two years both Duluth and Minneapolis detectives would hunt for her killer across the country, until finally finding him in the Pacific Northwest. My guest is Jeffrey Sauve, author of "Murder at Minnesota Point". He shares details of the life and death of 32-year-old Norwegian immigrant servant Lena Olson, the con man (and possible serial killer) who seduced and killed her, and his connection to notorious Minneapolis murderer Harry Hayward. More about the author and his book here at North Star Editions. [https://northstareditions.com/product/murder-at-minnesota-point/] My earlier interview about Harry Hayward here on the Most Notorious website. [https://www.mostnotorious.com/2023/02/01/the-1894-murder-of-kitty-ging-w-shawn-francis-peters/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]