Wineville Chicken Murders

The Wineville Chicken Murders (also known as the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders) is an infamous kidnapping and murder case that occurred in Los Angeles and Riverside County, California from 1928 through 1930. The case exposed corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department and received nationwide attention.cite web| last = Kurz| first = John| title = Mira Loma History, Riverside County, California: Wineville Chicken Murders| publisher = Rubidoux Historical Society| date = 1988-12-15| url = http://www.usacitiesonline.com/camiralomahistory.htm| accessdate = 2008-01-26 ] The 2008 film "Changeling" is based upon events related to this case.cite news| last = Foundas| first = Scott| title = Clint Eastwood: The Set Whisperer - Shooting quietly on the Changeling set| publisher = "LA Weekly"| date = 2007-12-19| url = http://www.laweekly.com/2007-12-20/film-tv/clint-eastwood-the-set-whisperer/| accessdate = 2007-12-29] cite web | title = Feature Film: Untitled feat. Angelina Jolie & Clint| publisher = Talent Hunter| date = 2007-08-22| url = http://talenthunter.com/news_view.php?ID=967| accessdate = 2008-01-26 ]

Case and trial

url = http://www.crimezzz.net/serialkillers/N/NORTHCOTT_gordon_stewart.php| accessdate = 2008-01-26 ]

After a 27-day trial in Riverside County, California before Judge George R. Freeman, on February 8, 1929 Gordon Stewart Northcott was found guilty of killing Lewis and Nelson Winslow and an unidentified Mexican boy.cite news | title = Northcott Convicted of Slaying Three Boys; His Last Dramatic Plea Fails to Move Jury| publisher = New York Times| date = 1929-02-07| url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB061EFE3E5A167A93CAA91789D85F4D8285F9| accessdate = 2008-01-16 ] The jury heard that he kidnapped, molested, tortured, killed, and dismembered these and other boys throughout 1928. On February 13, 1929, Judge Freeman sentenced Northcott to be hangedcite news | title = Northcott put in Doomed Row: Slayer Becomes No. 46,597 at San Quentin Meeting With "Mother" May be Arranged Later Youth "Wisecracks" About Forthcoming Hanging | publisher = Los Angeles Times| date = 1929-02-13| url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/369683682.html?dids=369683682:369683682&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Feb+13%2C+1929&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=NORTHCOTT+PUT+IN+DOOMED+ROW| accessdate = 2008-01-26 ] and the sentence was carried out October 2, 1930. [cite web| last = Gribben| first = Mark| title = Poetic Justice| publisher = The Malefactor's Register| date = 2007-02-27| url = http://markgribben.com/?p=345| accessdate = 2008-01-26 ]

Louisa Northcott, Northcott's mother, later admitted killing Walter Collins. She was sentenced to life at San Quentin State Prison although it is believed Northcott coerced his mother into committing the killing. In the Monday, February 11, 1929 issue of "Time" magazine, it was reported that "Gordon Stewart Northcott, while on trial for abusing and murdering four boys, heard his mother testify that she was not his mother, but his grandmother." [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Ring |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,737335,00.html |quote=In Riverside, Calif., Gordon Stewart Northcott, while on trial for abusing and murdering four boys, heard his mother testify that she was not his mother, but his grandmother. |work=Time magazine |date=Monday, February 11, 1929 |accessdate=2008-10-03 ]

Police corruption

The Los Angeles Police Department was also involved in a scandal as a result of this case. Arthur Hutchins, Jr., a runaway from Illinois and originally from Iowa, claimed he was the missing Walter Collins so he could get a free trip to California.cite news | title = Hoax Discussed in Collins Suit: Hutchens Boy's Deception Subject of Argument Witnesses Tell of Seeming Truth of His Story Capt. Jones Lays Damage Action to Politics| publisher = Los Angeles Times| date = 1929-07-13| url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/370721512.html?dids=370721512:370721512&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jul+13%2C+1929&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=HOAX+DISCUSSED+IN+COLLINS+SUIT| accessdate = 2008-01-26 ] cite news | title = Hutchens' confession | publisher = Los Angeles Public Library [http://catalog.lapl.org/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?5005+CONFIGcw_photo.ini+language_3_useDatabase_968 Photo Collection] | date = | url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/368265782.html?dids=368265782:368265782&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Sep+21%2C+1928&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=ENIGMA+BOY+IDENTIFIED| accessdate = 2008-01-28 ]

Because Walter Collins' body was never found at the Northcott's chicken ranch, Christine Collins believed that he was still alive. In October of 1930, Northcott sent a telegram to Ms. Collins, saying that he had lied when he said that Walter was not one of his victims. He said that he would tell her the truth if she came to visit him, but when Ms. Collins arrived and confronted him, he claimed that he didn't know anything about it and was innocent.

Five years after Northcott's execution, one of the boys that Northcott allegedly killed was found alive and well. As Walter Collins' body had still not been found, Christine Collins still hoped that Walter had survived. She continued to search for him, unsuccessfully, until she faded into obscurity without ever knowing her son's fate. [cite news | title = The Boy Who Vanished–and His Impostor| publisher = Los Angeles Times| date = 1999-02-07 | last = Rasmussen | first = Cecilia | url = http://articles.latimes.com/1999/feb/07/local/me-5769| accessdate = 2008-10-06 ] The last public record of Christine Collins is from 1941, when she attempted to collect a $15,562 judgment against Capt. J. J. Jones, retired police officer, in Superior Court.cite news | title = Suit to Renew Old Judgment Recalls Northcott Murders: Mother of Supposed Victim Who Was Imprisoned as Insane in Imposter Mixup Tries to Collect Damages | publisher = Los Angeles Times | date = 1941-01-29 | url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/410782961.html?dids=410782961:410782961&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jan+29%2C+1941&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Suit+to+Renew+Old+Judgment+Recalls+Northcott+Murders | accessdate = 2008-10-09 ]

Aftermath

Investigators found an axe and bones, hair, and fingers from three of the victims buried in lime near the chicken house at the Northcott ranch near Wineville, hence the name "Wineville Chicken Murders."cite web| last = Kurz| first = John| title = Mira Loma History, Riverside County, California: Wineville Chicken Murders| publisher = Rubidoux Historical Society| date = 1988-12-15| url = http://www.usacitiesonline.com/camiralomahistory.htm| accessdate = 2008-01-26 ] Wineville changed its name to “Mira Loma” on November 1, 1930, due in large part to the negative publicity surrounding this case.cite web| title = Jurupa Valley History: Mira Loma History| publisher = Riverside County Planning Department| date = 2006| url = http://www.tlma.co.riverside.ca.us/planning/content/areaplan/jurupa/content/jurupa_history_noflash.html| accessdate = 2008-01-26 ] cite news | last = Rasmussen | first = Cecilia | title = During the 1920s, Boys Became the Prey of a Brutal Killer | publisher = Los Angeles Times | date = 2004-10-31 | url = http://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/31/local/me-then31 | accessdate = 2008-09-13 ] Wineville Avenue, Wineville Road, Wineville Park and other geographic references provide reminders of the community's former name.cite book | last = Johnson| first = Kim Jarrell| title = Jurupa| publisher = Arcadia Publishing| date = 2006| pages = p. 67| isbn = 0-7385-3082-4 ]

References

Further reading

*Jenkins, Philip. "Moral Panic: Changing Concepts of the Child Molester in Modern America". p 221. Yale University Press. 2004. ISBN 0300109636
* Jenkins, Philip. "Using Murder: The Social Construction of Serial Homicide". p 184. Aldine Transaction. 1994. ISBN 0202305252
*Paul, James Jeffrey. "Nothing is Strange with You: The Life and Crimes of Gordon Stewart Northcott". Xlibris. September 2008. ISBN 978-1-4363-6627-4
*Rasmussen, Cecilia. "L. A. Unconventional: The Men & Women Who Did L. A. Their Way". Los Angeles Times. October 1998. ISBN 978-1883792237

External links

*Los Angeles Public Library [http://catalog1.lapl.org/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?getLimitedTerms+8809 LAPL Photo Database] Keyword [http://catalog1.lapl.org/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?resultsScreen+5153+1+10+0 northcott] this is a collection of 121 photographs associated with the Wineville Chicken Murders.