Prime Crime: Solved Murders - Lucina Broadwell

Episode Date: January 18, 2023

It was May of 1919 in Barre, Vermont, when the body of Lucina Broadwell was found naked on her stomach, hands tied behind her back. To solve the crime, investigators must uncover a dark secret that the entire town is hiding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this murder case listener discretion is advised, this episode includes discussions of domestic violence, assault, and murder. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. Every city has its secrets. Sure, some have more than others, dust-coated skeletons crammed into the back of every closet. But even small towns have their mysteries. And in a place where everyone knows their neighbor, secrets can hunt. in plain sight.

Welcome to Barry, Vermont. In 1919, the cozy mountain town was just starting to experience an economic boom. Good business had attracted a wave of workers from all over the world. For decades, Barry's population hovered at 8,500, but around 1919, it grew to just over 10. However, even with this boost, the city still felt small. But small didn't mean boring. Barry's new residents brought the jazz age to the city.

Soon, citizens were going to newly built speakeasies downtown. Every night was another party. But some parties carried on in the shadows, and those on the invite list had nefarious intent. The darker side of Barry concealed ugly truths, and it would take a gruesome tragedy to bring it all to love.

Welcome to Solved Murders, True Crime Mysteries, a Spotify original from PARCAST. I'm your host, Carter Roy. And I'm your host, Wendy McKenzie. Every Wednesday, we step into the world of true crime's most fascinating murder cases and tell the tale of how real-life detectives close the case. You can find episodes of Solve Murders and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free exclusively on Spotify. This is our only episode on the Murder,

of Lucina Broadwell. What began as a run-of-the-mill investigation in a quiet town, quickly unveiled secrets that had been hidden for years. We have all that and more coming up. Stay with us. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel

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The young man was visiting the city of Barry, Vermont. It was a new place to him, and the weather that morning was dewy and perfect. so he decided to take a morning stroll through town. Jackson passed quiet shop fronts, just beginning to open their shutters. On a whim, he decided to take the scenic route, leaving the quiet downtown for a footpath behind the buildings. Despite being so close to the main street, this shortcut felt isolated. The grass grew tall, encroaching on the worn pathway.

As Jackson walked, he noticed something heaped to the side, almost hidden in the long grass. He got closer, then stopped short. It was the naked, lifeless body of a woman. She was lying on her stomach with her hands tied behind her back. Personal items were strewn everywhere, a hat, a pocketbook, and a gold watch. When Jackson looked closer, he realized she was lying on a pile of clothes. Once his shock wore off, Jackson bolted back to the main road in search of help.

Luckily, it didn't take long before he ran into a policeman by the name of Officer Curtis. Officer, I need your help. Goodness, you look like you've seen a ghost. There's, it's, she's, just come with me, now! The two men rushed back to the scene. The shocked officer knelt to get a closer look at the body. then he cautiously reached out and touched it. What in the world are you doing?

This body's as stiff as a board. She's been here for hours. Stay here while I get my men. Officer Curtis quickly summoned his colleagues, along with a photographer. But they weren't alone. A crowd of onlookers gathered as the authorities surveyed the scene.

Just like Jackson had thought, most of the victim's clothes were in a pile beneath her. It seemed like they'd been ripped from her body, but she wasn't fully nude. She still had on shoes, stockings, and a pair of yellow gloves. She also appeared to be wearing some sort of scarf. Upon closer examination, they realized some especially haunting details. The woman's hands had been tied with her own underwear, and what they thought was a scarf was actually her shirt waist and a handkerchief

wrapped around her neck. When the officers removed these items, they discovered bruises along the woman's throat. She had been strangled to death. But police couldn't find anything to help identify the woman. They turned to the townspeople who had gathered, hoping someone might recognize her,

but nobody did. This was a little odd. How could no one identify the woman in such a small town? Officers had no other option. but to collect the evidence and send the body off for an autopsy. Once back at the station, Officer Curtis and his colleagues continued to examine the woman's clothes, pocketbook, and gold watch.

That's when they found their first clue to the victim's identity. Hmm, looks like some initials are etched into the watch. LPC. Curtis, what do you think that stands for? Not sure, but there are only so many women in town with L names. Not to mention one. at the right age. Certainly narrows it down.

Could be a Lucille, Lenore, Lillian. Wait a second. Harry Broadwell's wife. Never met her, but doesn't her name start with the Nell? Yes, Lucina, and I'm fairly certain her maiden name started with C. Corser, I think. Let's get Harry in here. Lucina Broadwell was 29 years old and the mother of three children.

If the body did belong to her, officers knew that the news would be particularly painful. That same morning around 10 a.m., Harry Broadwell arrived at the Berry Police Station. He was visibly hung over, but he sat patiently as Vermont State Attorney ER Davis retrieved the victim's pocketbook and watch for him to examine. Mr. Broadwell, could you please tell me if you recognize these items? Um, yes, of course. That's my wife's watch in her pocketbook. Please tell me she's okay. I'm sorry to say, but I have terrible news. State Attorney Davis delicately explained the events of that morning as Harry listened in a daze.

Afterward, Davis gave him a moment and then continued questioning him. Now, I hope you understand why I have to ask you this. Harry, but what were you doing last night? Well, I got home around 7 o'clock, and Lucina was there with her father. We had supper, then I left to go drinking with some friends. They can vouch for me. I didn't get back until 2.30 in the morning. And was your wife home when you returned?

No. I went out searching for her. I've had to do. that a few times. She goes out and doesn't always come home, but that's another story. Marriage trouble, you know? This detail likely stuck out to Davis. Marriage trouble could mean any number of things, but if Davis thought it was a red flag, he didn't let it show. He let Harry continue. I was out until God, maybe six in the morning. The sun was rising. I was still drunk, just wandering around looking for her.

Davis thanked Harry and sent him home. There was still a lot of work to do. To start, Harry's statement had to be corroborated. Officers set out to find his drinking buddies from the previous night. Lo and behold, Harry's friends did vouch for his whereabouts. Even Lucina's father helped confirm details from Harry's statement. By May 7th, just three days into the investigation, the police had already hit a wall.

They knew someone had killed Lucina Broadwell on the night of May 3rd, but they didn't know who and they didn't know why. If they wanted any chance of solving the case, one thing was certain. The Barry police couldn't do it on their own. They needed to look for help beyond their small town. They needed an outsider. A star detective finds more to Harry Broadwell's story. They're responsible for some of the most horrifying acts of violence ever known.

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Oh, that's just piggy. He gets excited when we talk about rewards. Savings of up to $1 per gallon redeemable with $20 rewards dollars in your loyalty account. At participating locations, terms and conditions apply. And now, back to our story. By May 7, 1919, the residents of Barry Vermont were in a state of shock. Only three days prior, the body of 29-year-old Lucina Broadwell was found bound and naked downtown. The Barry police wasted no time to investigate. They immediately questioned Lucina's husband, Harry.

But he provided a solid alibi and now authorities were back to square one. However, they did have more details. Recent autopsy results helped clarify Lucina's final hours. evidently she'd eaten veal and bread not long before she died, and just as officers thought, her cause of death was confirmed to be strangulation. But even with this information, the investigation was at a standstill. Try as they might, the police couldn't nail down a suspect.

They needed help, so they turned to someone they were sure could get the job done, a man by the name of James R. Wood. Wood was the most famous private investigator in New England. Not only was he the son of the region's first ever detective, he went on to earn his own reputation as a dogged investigator who didn't rest until a case was closed. But in 1919, Woods was still forging that reputation and many of his best-known cases had yet come.

At this point, he was likely, aiming to make a name for himself, so luckily for the Barry police, Wood readily accepted their request. He arrived in town on May 7th and immediately reviewed the case notes. You boys have done a bang-up job so far. Now let me see where we're at. You said the body had been autopsied? Yes, Mr. Wood. Um, sir, we can fetch you all the information right away. Good man. And I see here that you already spoke to the husband, uh, Harry Broadwell? We did, and he's a suspicious. Solid alibi, but he mentioned some marriage problems.

Didn't go into detail, though. I'd like to talk to the man again, if you don't mind. Of course, whatever you need. Let me get you his address. Wood went to the Broadwell's home the following day. When he arrived, Harry answered the door. Compared to his first encounter with police, this time he was fully sober. Woods started by asking Harry to recount the events of May 3rd.

Harry told the same story he had before, but when the subject of his marriage to Lucina came up, the detective dug a little deeper. I'll be honest, Harry. The men at the station also told me you mentioned marital problems. You can see how that doesn't look too good. If you can tell me your side of things, maybe I can help clear your name. Oh, I don't know if I...

Well, what's the point in hiding it? Lucina and I split up a few times over the years. And why was that, if I may ask? How do I put this? My wife has always been sporty. She's never been the one-man type. Frankly, I figured she was seeing other men. Why is that?

People around town said they saw her spending time at the Parker House. Sorry, the Parker House? It's this Bordello in town, sort of an open secret around these parts. People go there to, shall we say, meet new friends? I heard rumors that she was sleeping with some guy who lives there, George Long. You know, I stopped by the Parker House on the night she died. I walked over there at an outrageous hour hoping to find her, even if she was in the arms of some other man. But no such luck.

The Parker House seemed like it could help Wood understand Lucina's last hours. Eager to pursue the lead, he thanked Harry for his time and stood to go. But before he left, Harry had one more thing to say. There was a woman my wife knew. They used to go out together doing God knows what. Grace Grimes is her name. I believe she lives in Boston now. She and Lucina wrote to each other practically every week.

She would know my wife better than anyone. better than me, that's for sure. Armed with this new information, Detective Wood made a plan. One, find Grace Grimes. And two, talk to George Long. He called his Boston office to see if they could dig up any information on Grace. In the meantime, he searched for George. Luckily, this didn't take long.

He found George in town the very next day. After Wood explained who he was, George agreed to go to the park. Parker House to talk. The building itself seemed normal enough. A two-story house divided into apartments, but George Long was another story. I don't know why you'd want to talk to me, Detective. I don't even know Lucina Broadwell.

I've never even seen her in my life. Couldn't pick her out of a lineup. Now, George, you're stepping on my lines. I haven't even asked if you knew Lucina Broadwell. Well, I don't, okay? Okay, noted. But do you understand there have been some rumors about the two of you? Lucina's own husband seems to believe you were having an affair.

I would never. Look, if this woman was seeing another man at this house, I can help you sniff him out. There are a lot of no good guys here. Except me, of course. The more George spoke, the more suspicious he seemed. Wood left the conversation knowing he'd have to look into George. George's history. But before he had the chance, Wood got a call from one of his assistants. They had located Grace Grimes, and she was willing to come into the Boston office the next day

to speak with him. Wood immediately packed up his things and boarded a sleeper train to Boston. He arrived the next morning on Friday, May 10th. By that afternoon, he was seated across from Grace Grimes. Lucina and I were like sisters. We speak. We spent most of our time together. We'd go out almost every night, meet some men, mess around. And we didn't see anything wrong with it. It's practically the 20s. Why can't us girls have some fun?

And these parties? They took place at the Parker House? That's right. What else can you tell me about this house? I'm sure you know the deal by now. People who party at the Parker House are looking for one thing. But it's not as fast and loose as it sounds. These parties are special, exclusive.

if Isabel or Mrs. Parker, the lady who owns the place, she's particular about who's invited. Only people who can be discreet. From there, she fixes people up with each other. Someone's wife with someone else's husband. She's a regular matchmaker. After you left Vermont, did Lucina keep you informed about the men she saw? Sure, we wrote to each other all the time. She told me all about the last guy.

George? A real zero, if you ask me. George Long? Yeah, that's the guy. They'd been seeing each other for a little while. He fancied himself a real hot shot, but Lucina said he was full of hot air. After all, hot shots don't live in Bordellos.

When did she say that? In the last letter she sent me. Actually, speaking of that letter, Grace explained that Lucina's last correspondence had arrived a few days after the murder. Grace believed Lucina wrote it on the day that she was killed. I guess George had been going on about some new car he bought, but it wasn't just about the car. He wanted to use it to run away with Lucina.

To California. He wouldn't let up about it. It was too much. She had to cut ties. So Lucina was going to leave George. She was going to break things off once and for all that night. Would hope to see the letter, but Grace had destroyed. it, something she did after reading all of Lucina's letters.

Still, this was a bombshell for the investigation. Though the evidence was circumstantial, Grace had all but confirmed the detective suspicions about George Long. Now it was just a matter of corroborating her statement. For this, Wood had a plan. If anyone knew the details about Lucina's relationship with George, it would be the woman who matched them in the first place. Coming up, Detective Wood tracks down the Parker House matchmaker.

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Client was paid $1,000 for their testimonial, creating a conflict of interest. outcomes vary. Investment management and advisory services provided by Wellfront Advisors LLC and SEC registered investment advisor. Investing involves risk to principle regardless of the strategy used. Task performance does not guarantee future results. Now, back to our story. By May 11th, 1919, Detective James Wood was on a role. It had been just one week since the discovery of Lucina Broadwell's body and Wood already had a suspect and a motive. Grace Grimes had told him that Lucina plan to break things off with her lover, George Long, the night she was murdered. If this was true, things didn't look good for George. Before confronting his suspect, Wood tracked down the one

person who could confirm Grace's statement, Mrs. Isabel Parker, the owner of the infamous Parker house. Early on the morning of the 11th, Detective Wood brought Mrs. Parker in for questioning. If Wood was expecting a young, brassy matchmaker to walk through the doors, he might have been surprised. Instead, in his case notes, he described Parker as resembling a fortune teller. She was in her 60s with thick gray hair that the detective thought was a wig. All the same, he hoped the eccentric woman would be able to shed light on the events of May 3rd. Well, you understand that I can't speak too candidly about. about what occurs at my house.

But what I can say is that, yes, Lucina Broadwell did come by several times. Did she come by the night of Saturday, May 3rd? Yes, she did. George was there too. They were inside for a while, and at some point I saw George go across the street to the grocer. Do you remember what he purchased?

Oh, looked like dinner for two. Nothing too fancy. Veal and bread. Woods alarms went off. This was the exact food found in Lucina's stomach during the autopsy. While this was important evidence, it was also circumstantial. The detective needed more information on the relationship. And because Mrs. Parker chose to be coy, he needed to use other methods.

He left Mrs. Parker in the custody of one of his associates while he and another detective headed to her home. Once there, the detective began searching Parker's belongings. for anything relevant to the case. Soon enough, they found exactly what they were looking for. Wood picked up a small red diary. As he paged through the entries, he realized it was Mrs. Parker's scheduling book.

The names, telephone numbers, and addresses of her customers were all listed. But not only that, the book revealed when each customer visited the house. Among these names listed, under May 3, 1919, Wood found the puzzle piece he had been searching for, a date for Lucina Broadwell and George Long. It was yet another damning piece of evidence. George and Lucina had, in fact, been together the day she died. Now, Wood just needed George to come clean. But when the detective

sat down with George the following day, the suspect didn't change his story. He simply repeated the same thing as before, that he didn't know Lucina, and they certainly never had any kind of relationship. But that didn't matter. If George refused to lay down his cards, then Wood would lay down his. Calmly, the detective relayed all the information he had gleaned over the past few days, including Lucina's last meal, her final letter to Grace, and Mrs. Parker's little red book. With that, George's indignant facade fell away. Fine. Lucina and I are seeing each other.

And did you see Lucina the night of May 3rd? Yes, we had dinner together, but I didn't kill her, all right? This is all just a bunch of coincidences. Sure, we had an affair, and I'm not proud of it, but you can't prove I killed her. I guess we'll see about that. Wood now felt confident in his case, but he also knew it was dependent on circumstantial evidence. He didn't want to leave anything to chance.

Before moving forward, he made sure neither George nor Mrs. Parker could skip town. With the help of the police, Wood had them both held at an unknown building somewhere in Barry. Neither of the suspects were technically under arrest. and by all accounts, both of them went to their new lodgings willingly. So, with George and Mrs. Parker now under police supervision, Detective Wood set out to confirm every piece of the story he'd put together. He re-interviewed Harry Broadwell, who confirmed that they had not eaten veal and bread that night. Somehow, likely through interviewing the townspeople,

he also learned that the handkerchief that was tied around Lucina's neck had been a gift. from George. While on his fact-checking mission, Wood gained some more breakthrough information. One witness claimed that George's car, a Metz roadster, was missing from its usual spot outside the Parker House on the night of the murder. Wood had one of his assistants re-examine the crime scene, and his associate found a tantalizing clue, tire marks. A quick comparison of the treads to George's car. proved they were a match.

At some point, Wood and his men were able to examine the inside of the car. There, they found yet another damning piece of evidence. Detective Wood, you might want to take a look at this. That's human hair. Dark, just like Lucina's. Can we assume it's hers? Son, I know you're as eager as I am to solve this case, but we must do our due diligence.

We have to be sure this hair is a match. So, we'll need to dig her up. By this point, Lucina Broadwell had been laid to rest for a week, but Wood would not leave any stone unturned, or in this case, any corpse left buried. Her body was exhumed, and sure enough, the black strand found in Georgia's car was identical to her raven-colored hair. Wood was now confident he could make an arrest.

But his next move took everyone by surprise. On May 15th, he stood in front of Hotel Barry, encircled by reporters and photographers, and made an announcement. George Long and Mrs. Isabel Parker are hereby under arrest in connection with the murder of Lucina Broadwell. It isn't clear why Detective Wood charged Mrs. Parker in the murder. Perhaps he thought she'd tried to cover for George or had information to hide. Regardless, she and George were carted to the Montpelier jail. From there, the plan was to

try them separately. First George, then Mrs. Parker. For months, George maintained his innocence, but in October of 1919, once his trial began, it was difficult to convince the court. The prosecution called dozens of witnesses to testify on Lucina's whereabouts over the course of her final night. This included townspeople who claimed to have seen her, as well as more personal connections, like her father and husband. Between all these testimonies, they were able to piece together Lucina's last hours. This was an intentional tactic by the prosecution. With only circumstantial evidence to go on, they couldn't leave anything to chance. But it was George who revealed some of the most damning information.

According to reporter Jill Lepore, who looked into the original trial records of the case, George had told Detective Wood that he'd given Lucina a form of homemade birth control. The facts were deemed unfit for print, and the public didn't know about these details. But supplying a married woman with birth control at the time was so illegal and taboo, it must have been the straw that broke the jury's back. And witness testimonies did little to support George's innocence. Combined with Grace Grimes and Mrs. Parker's statements, the many testimonies painted a picture of how George Long could have killed Lucina Broadwell.

The evening of May 3rd, Lucina ate dinner with Harry and their children. Then, around 8 p.m., she made her way to the Parker House. Once there, she and George went to his room. It's unclear how their conversation started, but George soon fetched dinner for them. Perhaps he sensed Lucina pulling back, and this was a last ditch attempt to impress her. What happened next still remains a little murky,

but based on Lucina's last letter to grace, we can imagine. George, we've had fun together. We sure have, doll. The thing is, we'd be. Both knew this wasn't going to last forever, right? What do you mean? I mean, it's a fling. It has to end some time, and, well, that time is now.

It doesn't have to end. Listen, my roadsters right outside. How about you and I hit the gas and leave this town for good? Just you and me, forever. Not forever, George. You're a nice guy, but it's... It's over. So, what?

You belong to your husband now? No, I didn't say... Oh, so I'm supposed to sit back and watch while you cozy up to the next man who walks is in this house. That's the point. That's what everyone here does. Not you. George's rage intensified. We don't know the exact circumstances that led to the murder, but we can presume that he rushed at Lucina in a fit of rage,

ripping off her clothes in the process. Driven by hurt and fury, George then wrapped his hands around Lucina's throat and strangled her to death. From here, things get murky. It's not clear whether George actually killed Lucina at the Parker House or on the pathway where she was later discovered.

What we do know is the state of Lucina Broadwell's body when she was found. Face down in the mud, hands tied behind her back. lying on a pile of her own clothes. No one could understand why her shirtwaist and handkerchief were tied around her neck. Perhaps the sight of the strangulation wounds were too much for George to bear once his anger faded. To add to that, it's unclear whether George ever confirmed that he gave Lucina that handkerchief. But even with all these uncertainties, this version of events seemed hard to deny.

still the defense emphasized the circumstantial nature of the evidence against George and whether any of it could be trusted. However, it didn't work. So perhaps as a Hail Mary, the defense took things a step further. They claimed that George Long didn't kill Lucina Broadwell, someone else did. But this argument was haphazard. Some of their witnesses suggested that Harry Broadwell was the killer. while others described a mysterious stranger seen lurking around the Broadwell house. Ultimately, nothing stuck. And on October 31st, 1919, the jury found George Long guilty of murder in the second degree, sentencing him to life in prison.

Mrs. Parker's trial began shortly thereafter. There isn't much information about it, but it's clear that the original murder charge didn't hold up in court. However, a jury did find her guilty of operating a house of ill repute and sentenced her to two and a half years behind bars. We don't know much about what happened Mrs. Parker after that, or what became of the Parker House. As far as we know, it still stands, harboring the secrets that once occurred between its walls. Detective Wood, for his part, considered it a major success to put George Long on what, way. He and the Barry police solved Lucina Broadwell's murder on circumstantial evidence alone. In fact, he later cited the case as proof of the power of such evidence.

Of course, sending George Long to jail would never bring Lucina Broadwell back from the grave, but exposing the town's dark side just might have saved others from joining her. Thanks again for tuning into Solved Murders. We'll be back next Wednesday with another episode. You can find all episodes of Solved Murders and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Solve Murders True Crime Mysteries is a Spotify original from Parcast, executive produced by Max Cutler. Our head of programming is Julian Bois-Roe.

Our supervising sound designer is Russell Nass. with Nick Johnson as our head of production and quality control by Lisa Marie Gallegos. Stacey Nemick is our supervising editor and Derek Jennings is our writing lead. This episode of Solmurters was written by Georgia Hampton, edited by Sarah Batchelor and Alexandra Garland, fact-checked by Mary Mathis, researched by Mickey Taylor, produced by Joshua Kern and sound design by Brian Gallup. It stars Tiana Camacho, Dinesh Alvis, Tommy Arseniega, Sammy Amounts, and Brian Green. Our hosts are Wendy McKenzie and me, Carter Roy.

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