Ralph Jerome Von Braun Selz

Ralph Jerome Von Braun Selz (1909-????) was a drifter convicted of murder in the death of Ada Brownell French Rice, the estranged wife of the mayor of Nome, Alaska. Labeled 'The Laughing Killer´ by the press, Selz continuously filed petitions for his release and made several successful escapes from prison only to be recaptured each time.

Selz arrived in San Francisco, California in late 1935 and met Rice who, shortly thereafter, invited him to share a small cottage with her in Palo Alto. He was 30 years younger than her but considered himself a Romeo of sorts and seemed to be a perfect match for the oversexed Rice.

On February 27, 1936 Selz was arrested on auto theft charges and police discovered he had been forging Ada Rice's signature and cashing checks on her account. Although Selz didn't know it, Rice had been reported missing; police questioned him for weeks and he finally confessed to killing her and burying her body in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Resources

Los Angeles Times March 11, 1936: ¨Confession In Slaying - Killer Leads to Woman's Grave and Tells Murder of Her Man Friend¨

Los Angeles Times March 11, 1936: ¨Five Grisly Murders Checked by Police Tonight as Jaunty Jerome Von Braun Seiz (sp), 27-year-old Adventurer, Wearily Related Details of Two Killings¨

Los Angeles Times March 12,1936 :"Bay Death Clue Found - Suspected Killer Points to Where He Threw Body of Victim¨

Los Angeles Times March 17, 1936:¨ Killer Selz Linked With New Death - Ex-Hotel Porter Identifies Man as Companion of Another Slain Woman¨

People v. Von Braun Selz, 291 P.2d 186, 138 Cal.App.2d 205 (Cal.App. 1 Dist., 1955)