Prime Crime: Solved Murders - “Ransomed for Pennies” Marion Parker Pt. 2

Episode Date: July 28, 2021

With Marion’s killer in custody, a trial was set for January 1928. 19-year-old William Hickman immediately began laying the ground for his defense. But no matter how outrageous his tactics, Hickman eventually had to face the punishment for his grisly crime. 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 dramatizations and discussions of murder, dismemberment, suicide, and assault that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. The crowd was thick around the Pendleton City Jail in Oregon. Men in suits and short ties gathered alongside ladies in long dresses. None of them looked happy. The atmosphere made the chief of police.

Tom Gerdane worry as he pulled into the station. He knew what the mob was after. They wanted the blood of William Edward Hickman, the accused murderer of 12-year-old Marion Parker. Just one day earlier, a similar crowd attacked a robbery suspect who was falsely identified as Hickman. The man was found dead in his cell the next morning. Now, Gerdane had the real murderer in custody and was terrified Hickman would get mobbed before he had his day in court. It would rob the Parker family of real justice for Marion's murder. Gerdane called in an extra contingent of officers to surround the cruiser before he led Hickman outside. At the sight of the killer, the crowd shoved forward, coming face to face with the authorities. Gerdane gritted his teeth as they approached. He

wrapped one arm around Hickman and jerked him forward. With the other, He reached down to grab his nightstick. Welcome to Solved Murder's 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 Solved Murders and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free exclusively on special. Spotify. This is our final episode on Marion Parker, a 12-year-old Los Angeles girl who was abducted and murdered in 1927. Last week, we covered her kidnapping and murder. This week we'll discuss the sensational trial of her killer and the demented legacy he tried to leave behind. We have all that and more coming up. Stay with us. Own it all. Pay off your home. Travel for life. Drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the World premiere of the Monopoly, Big Board Buckslot Machine by Aristocrat Gaming, Yamava Resort and Casino and San Manuel is giving one person a $1.6 million dream package.

The biggest prize in Yamava's history. Club Serrano members can earn daily instant prizes and secure a spot in the finale May 29th. Don't pass go and own it all. Only at Yamava, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You win? Details at Yamava.com must be 21st. Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro. Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. On December 15th, 1927, Marion Parker left for school with a...

her twin sister but never came home. Two days later, half of her dismembered body was dumped in front of her father. A massive police investigation identified her likely kidnapper as 19-year-old William Hickman. On December 22nd, seven days after Marion's kidnapping, he was arrested outside of Pendleton, Oregon. You'll be held without bail. On what charges? The kidnapping and murder of Marion Parker. You think that's funny? It's an inside joke. You'll be taken to Los Angeles in two days.

In the meantime, these men from the newspaper need to take your photo. Should I pose like a criminal or just be myself? You're mighty chipper for a man headed to Death Row. Death Row? Did you expect a slap on the wrist? Say, how do they execute people in California? The old-fashioned way. Hanging.

It took Hickman a moment to grasp the gravity of his situation. Soon after being arrested, he spoke to the city editor of Pendleton's East Oregonian newspaper. Smooth as ever, Hickman spun the journalist a half confession. He claimed that he had abducted Marion Parker, but insisted that a mysterious accomplice named Andrew Kramer was responsible for her death. Hickman swore up and down that all he ever wanted was enough money to go to college and better himself. He said that after he handed Marion Parker off to his partner, Kramer killed her. Hickman broke down in tears when he described how he was later presented with a suitcase containing Marion's dismembered body.

The story conveniently made Hickman out as a well-meaning but misguided man rather than a cold-blooded killer. authorities were immediately suspicious of the tale, but they'd originally suspected Hickman worked with an accomplice so they couldn't discount the confession entirely. They did their due diligence and found two Andrew Kramer's, who might have known Hickman. Hickman! We found your Kramer! Thank goodness! Where was that little bastard?

There are two, actually. Oliver Andrew Kramer, who goes by Andrew, has been in jail for the past six months. Well, then it must be the other one. The other one is the first man's brother. Good, go on. His name is Frank Andrew Kramer. That's him. That's the man.

Frank Andrew Kramer has also been in jail for the past six months. Well, that's impossible. He was with me. I told you, he killed Marion. Unlike his brother, Frank doesn't go by Andrew. If you were a murderer, would you go by your friend? name? I'm disappointed in your shoddy work, detective. Get back out there and find the right man. There's a child murderer prowling the streets right now. Let me know when you're ready to tell the truth, son. Hickman's ploy was obvious, but now that he was exposed, he couldn't risk changing

his story and looking desperate. He had no choice but to stick to his discredited version of events. That meant sticking with his persona as a good-hearted man who got pulled in over his head. Hoping to earn some goodwill, he wrote a letter to major papers, advising America's children to walk a different path than he had. He preached for young men to be honest and upright, unlike him. It wasn't a very convincing act, but Hickman was nothing, if not resourceful. One night he struck up a conversation with a prison guard and toyed with the idea of pursuing an insanity defense. He openly asked the guard how he could pretend to be mentally eat. ill. From then on, his behavior started to change. On December 24th, the Los Angeles police arrived

to pick Hickman up in the early evening. The killer was napping in his cell. Hickman, get up. Your escort's here. Up now. We haven't got all day. Marion, my angel, I didn't kill her. Let go on earth! No! Marion, my angel! Fly me away! Away from here! Hold him! I can't! He's a maniac! I'm trying! Where are you?

What on earth was that? Why, I think the boy's gone mad! It was like a switch had suddenly been flipped and Hickman could no longer control himself. There were plenty of reasons. to doubt his sincerity, but no one could deny the last few days had done a number on his psyche. He hadn't remained composed for long when authorities first arrested him either. Investigators were left wondering whether these latest antics were just part of his strange act, or if he really was losing it.

Coming up, we find out if Hickman is truly insane. Imagine living with a secret so big that if anyone ever found out, it would change everything. Imagine carrying that secret with you every day, desperate to one day get it off your chest. Do you think you could take a secret like that to the grave? I'm a Stefania Hakeman, host of the new podcast series, Deathbed Confessions, the show where we dive deep into the most explosive things people have admitted to while drawing their last breath,

from murder, fake identities, heists, illicit affairs, and even top government secrets. This season on Deathbed Confessions, we investigate cases like Frank Thurrogood, the construction worker who claimed that the drowning of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones was no accident. Margaret Gibson, a silent film actress who, while dying of a heart attack, confessed to one of the most famous unsolved crimes in Hollywood history.

And ex-CIA officer Howard Hunt, who, on his deathbed, confessed to playing a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Deathbed Confessions is a Spotify original from Parcast. airing episodes weekly starting July 21st. Follow and listen to Deathbett Confessions for free on Spotify. And now back to the story. On Christmas Eve, 1927, Los Angeles Police attempted to escort accused murderer William Hickman to California.

When they arrived, Hickman writhed on the floor, screaming nonsense about his victim, Marion Parker. He had to be left in his cell to calm down. It was a disturbing fit, and seemed to come completely out of the blue. Hickman's explosive screams could be heard from outside the prison. LAPD decided to come back again for him the next day. That night, Hickman attempted suicide twice.

First he dove from his top bunk and landed on his head. The result was a headache and some minor swelling. Officers couldn't be sure whether he was genuinely trying to hurt himself, but they watched him more carefully for the remainder of the night. It was a good thing they did because not long afterward, he tried another tactic. He almost managed to strangle himself before he was stopped by the guards. The attempts put the LAPD on high alert, and they arrived early on Christmas morning to pick Hickman up. They were prepared for more difficulty, but to their surprise, Hickman stayed calm.

He walked past masses of newsmen and photographers without causing a scene. On the train ride home, he was questioned by authorities. All right, I'll tell you the truth. No more lies, I promise. You didn't have an accomplice, did you? No, I made Andrew Kramer up. So the kidnapping, the murder, the dismemberment, scattering her body parts in the park.

I did it all by myself. She was a 12-year-old girl. How could you? I must be crazy. That's why they'll let me. off, I bet. By reason of insanity, you can't be serious. You said it yourself. Only a monster could do what I did. To prove I'm crazy, I'll tell you every single gruesome detail of what I did to Marion Parker. Hickman spent the remainder of the train ride writing down a graphic description of the abduction

and murder. In this latest version, he claimed the little girl saw the whole endeavor as a vacation, and she wasn't in distress. Hickman wrote that the two of them, even saw a movie together. Despite Hickman claiming that he came to like Marion, he stated he was overcome by murderous urges at the last moment. He snuck up behind her and strangled her with a dish towel for no apparent reason. He later wrote an addendum to the confession in which he explained his motivations more clearly. He said he had originally intended to leave Marion Parker alive,

but worried she would lead police back to him if he did. He then went into more detail about his sudden murderous urge. According to him, he'd struggled with random violent impulses throughout his life. In the letter, he attempted to walk a thin line by appearing to take responsibility for his actions, while simultaneously implying he was the victim of a sudden bout of insanity. It's not clear how many people Hickman actually managed to sway. For most of the country, he was the epitome of evil. His train was slated to stop in Portland on the way to Los Angeles,

but police learned that a mob of around 2,000 people were at the station waiting for him. Authorities worried violence would break out if the crowd saw the killer. They got off at an earlier stop and switched Hickman to a different train. But there was one person who did believe in Hickman no matter what. His mother, Eva. Eva refused to consider that her son was a monster. She told the press that he must have been coerced, or at least ordered by some kind of accomplice, to murder the little girl. She also worked hard to get him the best lawyer she could find.

An attorney from Kansas City named Jerome Walsh. He agreed to travel to Los Angeles to represent Hickman. While waiting for him to arrive, Hickman expanded his writing portfolio even further. Apparently, the multiple confessions he'd already released to the media weren't having their intended effect. This time, Hickman up the ante by writing about all of his crimes. He copped to a string of petty thefts and forgeries, which the police were already aware of.

More importantly, he confessed to his involvement in a second murder. According to Hickman, he and an accomplice had killed a pharmacist the year before during a botched robbery. The accomplice, named Welby Hunt, was subsequently picked up and charged. The revelation had further implications as well. Hickman and Hunt were both present when Hunt's grandfather suddenly died sometime before. The case was originally considered a suicide, but was reopened after Hickman's latest confession

and turned into a murder investigation. The general public was shocked by the latest news. Originally, Hickman had pretended to be a misguided petty criminal. Now he seemed like a man who'd been rotten since the day. he was born. The change in branding actually benefited Hickman's plays for an insanity defense. Although doctor after doctor declared him unimpeachably sane, the average American was no longer so sure. Now that he had bragged about killing multiple victims, people started to think of him as a roving monster, utterly consumed by murderous rage. Hickman's lawyer, Jerome Walsh, intended to take

advantage of the newest turn in public sentiment. He spent weeks talking to Hickman to get a sense of his client's motives and actions. By the end of it, Walsh advised Hickman to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. It didn't seem too hard for Hickman to convince his lawyers he was mentally ill. The sheer horror of murdering and dismembering a 12-year-old was proof enough for his defense team. They felt Hickman couldn't be held entirely responsible for. for such depraved actions and that he didn't deserve the death penalty. He was sick.

The logic was harder to swallow for some during the actual proceedings. The trial kicked off on January 25th, 1928, and the courthouse was packed to the brim. More than 1,000 people showed up to fill 150 seats. Many in the crowd were shocked when Walsh announced the plea. The insanity defense had only recently become law in California, though the option was relatively new, the criteria were fairly simple.

A person was deemed legally insane if they could prove that they didn't know the difference between right and wrong when committing the crime. That meant that Hickman fully admitted that he had killed Marion. There was no need for any evidence to prove that. Instead, the burden of proof was on the defense. They had to show, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Hickman lacked the mental capabilities to know that what he was doing was wrong. The emotional and highly publicized nature of the case acted as a double-edged sword.

For some people, like Hickman's lawyer, the clear facts of the murder were enough. They believe that only a truly mentally ill person who didn't know right from wrong could ever kill and chop up an innocent child. But others looked at things in a different way. For them, Marion Parker's murder was still. so heinous that there could be no justice without extreme punishment for her killer. The fact that she was a vulnerable child only proved that Hickman was irredeemable and deserved the death penalty. The prosecution had no trouble pulling at the jury's heartstrings at first.

They called witness after witness to give their perspective on the tragedy. The administrator from Marion School, her parents, and the detectives involved in the case all spoke on the stand. Prosecutors also showed the jurors pictures of Marion's severed limbs, her bloody torso, and her eyelids, which Hickman had stitched open after killing her. The images were too much for many of the jurors who lived in an era when photos and film weren't so widespread. Movies were just beginning to incorporate sound, and there certainly weren't many close-ups of violent imagery like that. One of the jurors fainted at the sight of the pictures.

Court was adjourned for the day. But the state wasn't just out to shock the courtroom. They brought in multiple doctors and psychiatrists who had examined Hickman. Each and every one of them were confident he was sane. There was simply too much that suggested Hickman was a cold, calculating criminal. He had openly talked about attempting an insanity defense to a prison guard in Oregon. Then there was the temper tantrum Hickman threw when the LAPD, came to pick him up.

Since then, he hadn't writhed around on the floor or screamed like an animal at all. The prosecution's case was strong. Because the burdened proof was on the defense to show he was legally insane, Hickman felt he needed to address the state's arguments himself. I want to take the stand.

To show the jury, I'm crazy. Son, only a crazy person would think and do the things you've done. We know that. But if we put you on the stand, There's no guarantee the jury will see it that way. All they'll see is a desperate young man who's trying to avoid the death penalty. Did you know that I was a star debater in high school? I almost won a national debate competition twice.

We're aware. I can be very convincing when I need to. Very. I'm sorry, son. It's just too risky. Those lawyers all love to debate too. Trust us. Your case is stronger if you stay silent.

Fine. I'll play along for now. Hickman's lawyers knew they had to regain control of the narrative during the proceedings. They couldn't allow him to jeopardize their plan. Instead, they turned to his father, William Hickman's senior. His appearance in court was a bit of a surprise. Immediately after Hickman was arrested, his father seemed unsympathetic to his son. He said he was happy to let the law sort things out.

But now he changed his tune. He arrived in Los Angeles, armed with evidence that his son was afflicted by a genetic mental illness. According to Hickman Sr., his ex-wife's mother, Rebecca Buck, was known to be unstable. She regularly disappeared at night and accused her neighbors of trying to kill her. She also suffered from what Hickman Sr. assumed were epileptic convulsions. Hickman Sr. blamed his wife's side of the family for his son. son's issues. He testified that Hickman's mother behaved just like Rebecca. She had been confined in asylums before and suffered multiple mental breakdowns. She reportedly threatened to kill her

husband, her children, and herself often. Hickman's father also claimed that these symptoms worsened when his wife was pregnant. He said they were particularly bad while she was carrying Hickman. His testimony clearly had an effect on the jury. As he left the stand, everyone's attention turned to the defense. They were fascinated to hear from Hickman's mother and see if the ex-husband's stories were true. When Eva Hickman entered the courtroom, she immediately looked at her son.

For the entire trial thus far, Hickman had only been focused on the floor beneath him. He didn't bother to glance up, even when his father was speaking. But when his mother entered, he stared her. dead in the eyes. Everyone could tell the look they exchanged was loaded, but no one could describe exactly what it meant. They only knew it was significant.

Time seemed to stop for a brief moment. When mother and son broke eye contact, it was as if the world started moving again. Even the judge was taken aback by what he saw. On the stand, Eva was nervous but clear. She confirmed what Hickman Sr. said about her mother, Rebecca Buck. She recalled searching for her mother as a child in the middle of the night. She and her father regularly ventured out into the darkness,

letting Rebecca's unearthly screams guide them to her location. However, when questioned about her own mental state, Eva refused to open up. She told the attorney she couldn't remember the things Hickman Sr. had said about her. However, there were other people who could. Multiple members of Hickman's extended family backed up his father and told the court that Eva was insane. Still, no amount of anecdotal evidence could compete with the findings of trained medical professionals. For that, the defense called Dr. Scug, a psychiatrist they'd hired to the stand. The doctor read from private conversations he'd had with Hickman,

in which Hickman described a supernatural presence he called Providence. This Providence apparently had a power over him, and he seemed to blame it for his actions against Marion. According to Hickman, providence was superior even to God. After Dr. Skug had read portions of his interviews with Hickman out loud to the court, he stated that Hickman suffered from grandiose delusions, which was possibly related to schizophrenia. During the testimony, Hickman kept quiet.

But the moment court adjourned for the day, he demanded to see his lawyers. When they arrived, they were surprised to see him outraged. How dare you let the doctor say those things? What's the matter? Put me on the stand right now. We've already discussed this, William. It's not a good idea.

That doctor acted like he was my friend. Instead, he's running around telling lies. What lies? He read your own words out loud. No one was supposed to know about Providence. I told him about that incontinent. Now the reporters know, the newspapers will claim I'm crazy, which means no one will take Providence seriously. Well, son, that's good for your case, isn't it?

Yes, it's the best outcome we could hope for. Don't you believe me? I've told the whole truth. Providence guided my hand. It's real. We believe it, son. Absolutely. Overall, Hickman was clearly trying to avoid the death penalty, but it's hard to know what to make of this outburst. He apparently considered his conception of providence to be a spiritual belief,

separate from any insanity. He hated the thought of it being dismissed as the ravings of a madman. His lawyers calmed him down and got him to agree again not to take the stand. After 15 days of testimony, the time finally came for the verdict. To everyone's surprise,

the jury took less than an hour to reach their decision. In February 1928, William Edward Hickman was deemed legally sane. Hickman would be sentenced for kidnapping and first-degree murder. He was to be held at San Quentin Prison, and then he was to be executed. Coming up, we'll learn exactly what happened to Marion Parker. And now, back to our story. On February 11, 1928, 20-year-old William Edward Hickman was,

sentenced to death for the murder of 12-year-old Marion Parker. While his attorneys tried to delay his execution, Hickman languished in prison. The longer he was there, the more desperate for attention he became. He confessed to every crime he'd ever committed to anyone who would listen. He spun his admissions as guilty secrets he needed to tell to set the record straight. But from the outside, it just looked like Hickman was proud to be the most notorious criminal in the country. Regardless of his true motives, he was finally ready to tell the whole truth about Marion Parker. The story began in December of 1926 when Hickman moved from Kansas City to Los Angeles.

He claimed to want to break into the movie business, but he didn't get very far. Almost immediately, he resorted to robbery and forgery to sustain himself. On Christmas Eve, Hickman and an accomplice, Will Be Hunt, robbed a pharmacy in the city. A shootout ensued, and the pharmacist ended up dead. Hickman managed to flee the scene, and not long afterward earned a position at Perry Parker's Bank. Nearly a year later, however, he was in a worse spot than ever. He'd burned bridges at several odd jobs, including at First National Trust and Savings Bank. He needed money badly.

He later insisted he just wanted enough cash to pay for a college education, but it's impossible to know whether those were his genuine plans. Either way, he started contemplating something big. He told himself he'd pull one dangerous job and then go straight for good. He thought it would be easy to kidnap a child for ransom and get away clean. When brainstorming about possible victims, he happened to remember Marion from her days visiting the bank with Mr. Parker. So he came up with a totally arbitrary, half-form plan to take Marion out of school.

He got lucky when the administrator didn't ask too many questions. After he brought Marion back to his apartment on December 15, 1927, he told her what was really going on. He promised the girl she'd make it back home the following evening. At that point, Hickman was still confident he could score some easy money and wrap the whole ordeal up quickly. But when he realized the parkers had already called the authorities, he panicked. He called off the initial exchange on December 16th and took Marion back to his place again. Though she'd been relatively calm so far, when Marion learned she wouldn't be going home that night, she broke down in tears. Hickman was terrified. She would cause a scene or that her crying would wake the neighbors.

He played his phonograph loudly to drown out the noise. The next day was Saturday. Marion constantly begged to go home. Hickman tried to reassure. sure her it would only be a day or two longer, but she couldn't understand why he didn't bring her back that instant. The little girl cried herself to sleep that evening. While she was dozing, Hickman tied her to a chair and gagged her with a dish towel. He was clearly in over his head. He needed to take drastic action to avoid getting arrested. He suddenly worried Marion would be able to identify him to authorities and realized he had to keep her quiet. That was likely when he decided to strangle the girl.

Once she was dead, he realized he would have a much more difficult time getting his ransom money. Just moving the corpse out of his apartment without raising suspicion would be nearly impossible. Hickman cut up Marion's body so she would fit in a suitcase, which he could then sneak out of his apartment. He broke golf clubs into measuring sticks to use his guides during the dismemberment. The deed was gruesome and disturbing. Hickman claimed that when he cut through Marion's lower torso, her body convulsed violently. Even though she had already been strangled, some experts believe that spasm may have indicated Marion was still alive at that time. We'll never know how long the little girl actually suffered. When he was done, Hickman applied makeup to Marion's corpse and sewed her eyes open so it looked like she was

still alive. He stuffed the remains in a suitcase and used a pay phone to set a time and place for the exchange with Mr. Parker. After he got Parker's money, Hickman dumped his car and returned to his apartment. The next morning he was shaving when he heard a knock at his door. Open up. Police. Open up. Good morning, officer. Mind if we take a look about? Not at all. Go ahead. What's your name, son? Donald Evans, sir. This is quite the mess. How did you break so many golf clubs? After yesterday, I'm never going to play that goddamn game again.

I wish I could say I don't understand, but I do. What's this about, if you don't mind me asking? We're after a fiend who carved up a little girl. You think a man like that might be in this building? We don't know yet. We have to check all the units. I understand. Sorry for wasting your time, Mr. Evans.

We'll be going. Always happy to oblige. You have a good day now. Though police didn't realize it at the time, they visited the scene of the crime the very next morning. They even spoke to Marion's killer. Hickman's quick thinking about the golf clubs threw police off his trail.

They only spent about ten minutes in his apartment. The moment they left, Hickman took the ransom money and ran. When he realized his picture was in the newspaper, he assumed police would be looking for a solo driver. He started picking up hitchhikers to help him get through checkpoints. He successfully evaded authorities until he was finally arrested outside of Pendleton, Oregon. Almost one year later, the day of Hickman's execution was set for October 19, 1928. While he waited, he wrote a truckload of letters to friends, police, and the victims of substance. of his crimes. He claimed to want to apologize for his past actions, but it appears more likely

that he was simply making the most of his notoriety. Hickman never apologized to the Parker family. Instead of expressing genuine remorse for what he did, he used Marion Parker's murder as the foundation of his crooked legacy. He seemed to be trying to fit 60 more years of conversation into the few weeks he had left. The night before his execution, Hickman couldn't sleep. He believed he'd made right with God, but something still bothered him. He turned to one of his guards, Charles Alston.

What is it, Hickman? I can't sleep. Ask me anything. I just need someone to talk to. You change your story more often than I change my clothes. This time, I want the truth. Why did you kill Mary and Pratt? Parker. I got tired of finding her in the room where I kept her while I was trying to get the

ransom money. That's it? You got tired of her? I wasn't crazy when I killed her. I would have killed my best friend to get what I wanted. But why kill her? Why didn't you just drop her off in front of her house and leave the state? Marion said the same thing. I almost did it, but I thought she would scream and alert the police guards at the Parker home before I could make a clean getaway. Well, why didn't you take her out on a side street? or into the country and leave her. That's where I use bad judgment. I use bad judgment all the way through.

I could have robbed a bank, got ten times the money. You're a monster, an absolute monster. I bet it's the most terrible crime committed in the history of the world. I hope you die a long, slow, and torturous death. I got a kick out of dissecting her corpse. Hickman had changed his story yet again. Thankfully, it would be the last time. The next day was his execution.

The bravado from the night before evaporated on the gallows. Hickman had no last words and barely seemed to be in control of himself. At 10.10 a.m., the trapdoor sprung, and Hickman was hanged. Ironically, he was strangled but didn't die immediately, which experts believe is exactly what may have happened to Marion Parker. It wasn't until 10.25 a.m., a full 15 minutes later, that Hickman's heart stopped beating. With his death, the Parker's faded into a welcome obscurity. Marjorie, Marion's twin sister, was largely shielded from the media circus.

She passed away in 1987 at the age of 71. Today, the kidnapping and murder of Marion Parker is often overlooked, but for a time it was considered the crime of the same, century. Though William Hickman isn't worth remembering, we should always recall Marion's bravery in the face of evil. Her legacy far outshines that of her killer. Thanks again for tuning into solved murders. We'll be back next Wednesday with a new episode. For more information on Marion Parker's murder, amongst the many sources we used, we found the book Butterfly in the reign the 1927 abduction and murder of Marion Parker by James L. Nybauer to be extremely helpful

to our research. 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. If we live till next time. Solve Murders, True Crime Mysteries is a Spotify original from Parcast. It is executive produced by Max Cutler. Sound design by Michael Langsner, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly, Madden, and Freddie Beckley.

This episode of Solve Murders was written by Tara Wells, with writing assistance by Giles Hofseth, fact-checking by Bennett Logan, and research by Mickey Taylor. The amazing cast of voice actors includes Tom Bauer, Joe Hernandez, and Brian Kim. Solve Murder stars Wendy McKenzie and Carter Roy.