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Sly Like a Fox - The Abduction of Marion Parker
138 Plays5 months ago
School is supposed to be a place that you bring your child to learn and have fun - a safe place to grow. However, in today's story, that is not true. California 1927 Marion Parker is removed halfway through the day and her parents go through an action packed 3 days trying to get her back, while being taunted by the monster how took her. The ending will leave you without words, as this family is changed forever.
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Transcript
Introduction and Personal Updates
00:00:06
twistedtales
Hello and welcome to tuning in for an episode of Twisted Tales. And we're alive. We are just, you know, life. Yeah. But we have missed recording and talking to you guys. So we're back. Yeah, we're back. We are. You haven't figured out who we are by now. I'm Lisa. I'm Faith. And Lisa got engaged. Lisa got engaged. Somebody actually decided that they wanted to like put up with me voluntarily. My voluntarily put up with me forever. Yeah. He's special guy.
00:00:44
twistedtales
He is very special. We could have an episode on him one day. Who knows? I feel like he either or yeah interviewed I don't know who's going to be left behind. Made you snap. Yeah. She taking your measurements.
00:01:06
twistedtales
yes man Summer's been a little hectic, but we're glad to be back. Oh, for sure. Absolutely. So I got a got a fun little story that I wanted to tell you about not fun. So I went out to lunch with my my friends from work yesterday. And so so it's a little bit it's a little bit hard to talk about. I have a I have an ick factor. This one maxed maxed it. Yeah. So I went to like my favorite restaurant, Mexican restaurant.
00:01:39
twistedtales
Super good. Delicious. Got tacos. Classicos. Best cheese so and rice here. I didn't get rice. There was there was nothing to do with rice. But they have really good Mexican rice. They did. Yeah, I will be back for a while.
Horrifying Restaurant Story
00:01:54
twistedtales
Anyway, so in there, we're all goofing around with my friends. Everything's good. We finish eating. Girl comes to take my plate, pulls it away from me. I look down and there's a maggot. crawling across the table where my plate just was. Now, I would have been okay had I not already consumed the maggot food. Yeah, the taco del maggoto. But she did. I did. So I have no idea. And ive I've got a really, really good support system between my friends at work and like my friends at at home. um Everybody
00:02:33
twistedtales
was really kind and letting me know that they 100% think that I ate a maggot. At least five instead of saying, no, at least the chances are. Oh, no, you ate a maggot, my friend. No, no, they called me. They called me maggot breath. They call me a dead body. You ingested instead. My my friend greeted me this morning and said, good maggot. I mean, morning. And now it's time I've had about as much fun as I can take. You're the maggot queen. I am the maggot queen. That's so nasty. Yeah. You ruined that restaurant for me. Yeah, i've I've ruined it for myself. I love that place. They're all like, we're going back next week. I'm like, no, no, to the no. Not happening. I'm not even going back. No maggots for Lisa.
Summer Recap and School Security
00:03:16
twistedtales
Well, between eating maggots and getting engaged, Lisa has had a full summer full full summer. What about you? I have worked and I am every day I work, I just get further behind at this point. Yep.
00:03:32
twistedtales
So there's no going in for nothing. There's no up or down for me right now. I'm just I'm not even treading water like I'm trying to figure out if I'm swimming upward or downward or sideways. I don't know which way to go and anymore. Yeah, it's my life. I understand. Yeah. But I have payback for you. OK, that's good. ah So I don't know if you remember a really long time ago when we recorded. It was actually the beginning of summer. And you gave us a beautiful story of why, as we're entering into the beautiful swim season, people should be wary of going into public schools. Pools. Public swimming pools. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Because it creeped me out. Yeah. 100%. I may have that may not have done the best job telling that, but it literally made me sick to my stomach. Yeah, no, no. 100%. Which apparently much things do now. Yeah, you got it. You need to work on that constitution. But you us that story going into summer. I did.
00:04:31
twistedtales
And I couldn't land on a story, even though I've had a month to get it together. I was gonna say, dude, we haven't recorded in a while. Since June. Yeah. It's officially August. It's August now, yeah. So I have a story in line with. Okay. That. Not that, but we're going into school, so. Oh, great. I have got a story for you, my friend. Cool. Let's talk about the perverts of the universe. Oh, I honestly, I can honestly say oh I can't say I was going to say would honestly be better if I was talking about a pervert in this story. But OK, we'll get there. All right. So we're going to go on the way, way, way back machine and rewind all the way to the roaring 20s. What? In the United States
Kidnapping Story Begins
00:05:15
twistedtales
of America. OK. And not the 2020s. No, no, 1920. OK. 1920s. Sorry. All right. I remember what area you're in here. I have no idea. I thought we discussed.
00:05:28
twistedtales
I don't even know what day it is i don't even know a time zone I live in someone asked me the other day for me or what time zone here and I was like ah Knoxville I just say I don't believe in times. I literally said Knoxville and he sat there for a minute and I said Let's make this easy. What time is it right now where you're at? He was like when I was like, okay, it's 11 o'clock We're close to the mountains mountain time yeah Literally, so that's how stupid I am. That's all right. All right back to 1920s in California. Let's do it. I I am going to start back just at the beginning of our our our our story here. It's going to be October 11th, 1915. Oh, so we're past that now. actually You went deep in. We're starting the 15th. Sorry about that. You're fine. Starting the 15th, going jumping right back in the 20s. So on October 11th, 1915, Geraldine and Perry Marion Parker, along with their son, Perry Junior, welcomed twin little girls into their family.
00:06:26
twistedtales
Their names were Marion, after her father's middle name, and Marjorie Parker. The girls were twins. They were not identical, so fraternal. They looked like sisters, but not like, you know, you couldn't tell they were twins, but they were. and There's a strong family resemblance, great family. ah The father, Perry Parker, worked at the First National Trusts and Savings Bank, and he had been employed there for 20 years. strong, dependable career. His current job title was an officer. So like a manager is what a lot of people say. He's just a manager at the bank. OK. And Geraldine was a stay at home mother. Nineteen. Pretty typical. What else is she going to do? Right.
00:07:06
twistedtales
um As the twins grew up, Marion was particularly close to their father, like 100% a daddy's girl. And while parents don't really play favorites, you and I hat both have a favorite kid, because we have one kid, right? That's right. But if you ask my parents who's... Although sometimes I kind of like my dog a little bit more. I like the neighborhood stray a little bit. I'm not gonna lie. The neighborhood stray. So parents don't, all parents say, you know, I love you all equally, blah, blah, blah. Oh yeah, but there's always the one kid. There's the one kid. And while Marion was daddy's little girl. I was not that kid. Yeah, I was. Until Michael was born. And he stole it from me. Yeah. Anyway, ah the dad tend to favor her as well. And Marion would often accompany her father to work at the bank, known there by all the employees, like they spend a lot of time.
00:08:01
twistedtales
um She was described as a very good kid, a little bit of a tomboy. She had plenty of friends, but would often choose to spend time with her family over friends if she was given an option. okay um She loved to play with her trains, she loved throwing a football with her dad, and her sister her twin sister Marjorie was like the epitome of a girly girl. okay So there's where we're at in this little family dynamics. On Thursday, December 17th, 1927, It is Father Perry Parker's 40th birthday. Typical day. The twins get ready for school. And I guess this is pre-bus time. So they were picked up by a street car, which would take them to school. Kind of like a taxi, I guess. That would assume. I know nothing about that kind of history. No, but that was their daily routine. The street car would pick the girls up from the house, bring them to school, and then pick them up from school and bring them to the house. So I'm guessing their parents were probably affluent enough
00:08:59
twistedtales
not yeah bu So um the street car came, got the girls and they were super excited. It's, you know, end of the winter semester. It's their Christmas party day. Like they're excited. It's one of those few days where you don't have to argue to get your kids to school type of deal. Right. Um, at the end of the school day, everything was fine. School lets out. Marjorie goes outside and is waiting in front of the school for her sister. And, um, they're ready to go
Ransom Letters and Tension
00:09:28
twistedtales
home. The scheduled street car pulls up to get the girls, but Marjorie is still standing there alone. Marion hasn't shown up yet. And.
00:09:36
twistedtales
She doesn't know what to do. I mean, they're in like fourth or fifth grade. and do i stay wait Yeah, do i yeah car it's not like you have a cell phone where you can call someone and she doesn't want to get left behind. She doesn't really know what's going in. So she gets in the show like even in fourth grade maybe a little naive yeah so she gets excuse me she gets in a street car and goes home. When she arrives, her sister Miriam is still nowhere to be accounted for. She's not home either. So were the parents there waiting for them or at least mom, right? Yeah. Well, dad's 40th birthday. So dad skipped work today. He stayed home all day with mom. So both parents are there. Um, but honestly, they're not really concerned. Like it it is a different time. Marianne, they just assumed stayed at school to help her teacher clean up from the party. That's what kind of kid she was. Right.
00:10:30
twistedtales
And so um they're just kind of hanging out in about 445 when Marion still hasn't shown up. Perry. is concerned for his daughter. it you know It's just that like definitely should be home by now. So he calls school to check on her. And when he calls the um like front desk receptionist school or whatever, you know the person sits at the front desk at schools, her name is Mrs. Holt. She answers the phone and Perry asks, you know hi, Mrs. Holt. This is Perry Parker. I just wanted to see if Marianne was still at school.
00:11:02
twistedtales
And Miss Holt says, no, she left earlier today in the middle of the day with the man you sent to pick her up. However, Perry had not sent anyone to pick up Mary on that day. So what happened around noon at Mount Vernon Junior High School, the girls were in sixth grade. That's how old they were. They attended sixth grade here. A man walks into the school, middle-aged, looking 30s, they said, white, well-dressed in a suit. He walks up to the school registrar, Mary Holt, and explains that he works at the bank with Perry Parker. And Perry had been in a horrible auto accident and was in critical condition.
00:11:43
twistedtales
He said that he told Mary Perry continues to call out for his daughter and requested that he comes and gets his little girl and brings them to him because he's just like distraught and that they think that this is going to help Perry. Well, Miss Holt looks at this man and says, well, which daughter do you want? Because there's two, you know. And he says, oh, the younger one. So she said, OK, well, that's Marion. You want Marion? He said, yeah, that's what I want. That's who he's asking for. Absolutely. Now, heart hard hard pause yeah I got I got a couple things I'd like to say too but go for it number one there is no younger one they're twins yeah yeah you don't know the kids name uh-huh and if my was in a if I had twin girls and I was in a horrible accident I think I'd want both uh-huh yeah yeah no no I'm literally sitting here as you're sorry as you're telling this story and I'm like
00:12:40
twistedtales
remember what it was like in school, even back when I was in Boston, even when i when we moved to Tennessee. like they would have you say, ah have ah have a secret word with yeah your parents or trusted members of your family. And then you, yeah. They still teach that. They only got taught that last year. Yeah. And I'm sitting here and I'm like, you wonder why they do it. Yeah. Like because of scenario situations like this, where just because somebody looks like a decent, and like, that's the best thing ever. Like, and I've told Caleb about it a thousand times, just because somebody looks nice doesn't mean they're not evil.
00:13:16
twistedtales
Yeah, but my thing is, is there's like a hundred red flags in this interaction. And the woman is just well, he looked nice. He was well dressed. He was well to do. That's the thing, though. That's that's what we call profiling. Right. you're You are profiling someone. Yep. If he went up there with raggedy ass clothes and a torn t-shirt and said, oh, yeah, they'd be like stink to me. Yeah, they'd be like, yeah, on buddy. Yep. So after he said that yeah, Marion was the one he wanted, um she's pulled from her class at 12, 13, middle of her Christmas party and said, get your things, come to the office. When Marion arrives, there's a man waiting there for her and she's told, you need to go with him by this school. The principal shows up in the middle of this and she twos degrees that Marion needs to hurry up and go, like you need to go. Your dad's been in an accident, you gotta go. The man was never required to even give his name.
00:14:11
twistedtales
No idea was looked at. Nothing in the school sent this. And that's like that's in her way. oh Like back in the day, though, like a small podunk town. Uh huh. Where people are just naive and think like, nah, dude, this is Los Angeles, California, bro. But it's still in the 1920s. But it's still like it's not a backwater town. It's still going to be above like most towns. That's true. But I mean, yep. Well, I. I don't know, man. Yeah. Because I can just be like, oh okay, well, A.J. Jones, but yeah again, you didn't have like national news the way you have it now. Correct. But this should be some checks and balances. Absolutely. Right? Yeah, that was as horrible. So, Marin was last seen getting into a convertible roadster with a white middle-aged man who nobody knew. Nobody knows his name.
00:15:05
twistedtales
Nothing. Awesome. And if this isn't weird enough, no one at the school or outside of the school even alerted her twin Marjorie that her father's been in this apparent incredible car accident and he's languishing. Right. Like nothing. This little girl is oblivious. She continues on with her Christmas party and completely unaware of what's going on. Pause two seconds. Yeah. So I saw this tick tock the other day. It's just this just kind of makes me need to talk about this. You go right ahead. All right. So I fell I fell on it happily where this you know how they have security officers that work the buildings at most of the schools around here. um There was a woman that was guarding the door and this man came up and said that he had to do an audit on something in the school. OK.
00:15:57
twistedtales
She proceeds to tell him, I need to seize my date. Thank you. He refuses to give the ID. He starts recording her and the other male officer that was involved, okay?
00:16:11
twistedtales
Multiracial factors in this just yeah, just an FYI both shouldn't be a factor. Yeah, I know but you have to say yeah Yeah, and this woman this black woman standing tall and she's like, bro You're not getting into this school without some ID good and not only that I'm gonna call and see who asked you to come here He's like nobody asked me. I have to do an audit. Oh, you know what? I'm auditing. This is blah blah blah and And he made this deal. Like, I'm posting this all over the internet. Go right ahead. I wish I hadn't seen all the comments. People are just like, show your ID. Like, you're not going to get into a school. No. Elementary school. No. Because you say you have to audit something. No. Like, it's not happening, Kai. Good. Good for her. I hope she got a raise. I do too. I actually kind of wish that it punched him in the face. Yeah. Assaulted him a little bit.
00:17:00
twistedtales
I heard him a bit. not Only even if you had no ill will and he was just trying to make some kind of stupid ass point. Doesn't matter. I wanted him to get hurt just a little bit to prove to him. This is how we feel about our children. Yeah. Take your ass on. Yeah, like I'm I'm OK with all that. I just wanted to I needed it. Well, apparently now that happened here, that was bold. um She was last seen getting into this convertible roadster. Twin knows nothing. The vice principal of the school, who was actually one with the authority to send students home for someone in the middle of the day, was never consulted in this interaction. He was busy helping with the Christmas party. However, he did give a statement that the fact that nothing has ever befallen our school is evidence that they are safeguarded as possible here.
00:17:49
twistedtales
No they're not. Obviously something just happened so... Yup. And this historianian ghost rid this is the last I'm gonna say about the school. I will say, no one at the school was reprimanded. No one at the school got in trouble. um The superintendent
Failed Ransom Exchange
00:18:02
twistedtales
actually gave a statement to the press saying I've talked to Ms. Holt and I'm satisfied that I would have acted the same as she did in the given circumstances. What was that movie? I don't even remember like the full context of it but like...
00:18:17
twistedtales
No, no, no, it was an episode of Dexter when ah never seen it Julia is the girl from Save the Last Dance. Oh, yeah. Julia Stiles. Thank you. Julia Stiles. She was in it for a season and she got like maliciously raped, abused this whole nine yards. Dexter went in to like kill the guys, didn't realize they had her. And together they sought out every person that did her harm and murdered them. They should have. depending on how this episode goes, yeah i might I might enact that that button. Well, I want you, I mean, here's the deal, I get that it was the 1920s, but at the end of this story, I want you to remember that the people that sent her away, not even a slap on the wrist, and the superintendent said, I am satisfied I would have acted the same as she did in the given circumstances.
00:19:15
twistedtales
I want you to just remember that any kind of sympathetic thing like You know what? I'm gonna see how the story goes because I feel like they didn't do a damn thing go So once miss Holt says I ah sent your daughter home with the man you sent to pick her up because you're in a car accident How you doing, sir? Perry hangs up on her. He's done with her and he immediately goes to call the police but as he's dialing his doorbell rings and At the door was a Western Union telegraph delivery man, which I didn't know was a thing, but apparently was. Okay, not a singing telegram, obviously. No, no, this is i like email, but you know, the original kind, I guess. That's not email, that's snail mail, baby. Yeah, so um he gives he gives ah Perry the letter and the timestamp on the message was 3 p.m.
00:20:09
twistedtales
two hours after the yeah little girl went missing. And two hours before when Perry's getting it, it's around five o'clock when all this is going down. The message contains the following statement. Do positively nothing till you receive the special delivered letter dash signed Marion Parker. With the kid's name. huh Well, Perry and excuse me, my throat's really dry. I'm about to sneeze, so hold on.
00:20:40
twistedtales
sorry yeah we're struggling Perry and Geraldine obviously freaked out, ah hu immediately called the police. Once the police arrived, they interviewed the parents and the parents, this is one of the statements the parents gave. Perry did, he said, I can't understand why anyone would wish to hurt us. We live quietly and I am sure that I have no enemies. We are of moderate means and not the type of family it seems to me that would be marked by kidnappers. It's the most puzzling situation I've ever faced. He also stated that Marian isn't the type of child anyone would ever wish harm. So while the police are there talking to the parents, another telegraph arrives.
00:21:25
twistedtales
And this one contains the following message. Marion is secure. Use good judgment. interfere with Interference with my plans dangerous. Signed, Marion Parker and George Fox. So again, signed by the little girl and this George Fox. Well, police are there and they're like, well, who the heck's George Fox? Perry and Geraldine don't know a George Fox. They don't know a Fox anybody. They have no idea. And then around two hours later, another telegram arrives. Now, I got to think these things are a little pricey. Yeah. And there's about to be a lot of telegrams. Just to let you know. OK. And the title of this telegram is Death. And it contains the following message. P.M. Parker. Perry, Marion, Parker.
00:22:27
twistedtales
So this telegram reads, PM Parker, use good judgment. You are the loser. Do this. Secure 75 gold certificates, US currency, $1,500 at once. Keep them on your person. Go about your business as usual. Leave out police and detectives. Make no public notice and keep this affair private. Make no search. Fulfilling these terms with the transfer of currency will secure the return of the girl. Failure to comply with these terms means no one will ever see this girl again except the angels in heaven. The affair yeah to scroll down the affair must end
00:23:16
twistedtales
want to one way or the other within three days 72 hours you'll receive further notice but the terms will remain the same signed fate and then right under that in like a PS type of thing but it didn't say PS if you want aid against me ask God not man inside the telegram there's a second letter and this one reads Dear daddy and mother, I wish I could come home. I think I'll die if I have to be like this much longer. Won't someone tell me why all this had to happen to me? Daddy, please do what the man tells you or he will kill me if you don't. Your loving daughter, Marion Parker. P.S., please, daddy, I want to come home tonight. That's messed up. Yeah. That is so messed up. I'd be in a ball.
00:24:09
twistedtales
Yeah. Are hunting the streets. I don't know. Kind of both. It's 50-50 mixture, depending on the given time. So the next morning, Friday, because all this went down Thursday, he got all those letters those telegrams, all that happened first day. The next morning, Friday, the Parkers are received three phone calls at their house with no one answering on the other line. Stead air. Around 8 p.m. that night, Perry Parker answers the ringing phone again, and this time, a man's voice says, I'll call back in five minutes. Click. That's not helpful. About half an hour later, the phone rings again, and the man on the other end asks Parker, do you have the money? Parker says yes. Parker was instructed to leave his house immediately to go alone and meet this man on the other end of the park.
00:25:06
twistedtales
If Perry Parker obeyed these instructions, then Marion would be released to him immediately. And Perry, just wanting his little girl back, does what? Does what he saw. Letter of the law. He doesn't call the cops. He doesn't do anything. He follows these instructions. He gets in his car immediately and he goes exactly to where he was told to go and he waits. And waits. About 30 minutes rolls by. Thank you, Philip. and he's still just sitting there waiting but he's not leaving and he waits and he waits and he stands a silent vigil for hours oh my god dude at around 1140 it's not only is this all happening to him but he's actually like literally being screwed with yeah so on 11 45 that night he finally packs it up and goes home
00:25:58
twistedtales
When he gets home is when he finds out that the police had followed him without his knowledge to the meetup at the park. And unfortunately, even though they were trying to be incognito, they were not stealthy and the kidnappers spotted the police following them. Which is why he never met Perry Parker that night. And Perry Parker was given very clear instructions on not contacting the cops. So the Parkers receive another letter from the kidnapper the very next day with the same title as death. The word death is like circled with an arrow pointing down to the sentence that says death approaching near each and every hour. Then the telegram goes on to say as follows. PM Parker.
00:26:53
twistedtales
When I asked you over the phone to give your word of honor as a Christian and a businessman, not to try and trap me or tip the police, you didn't answer. Why? Because those two closed cars, carefully following your car, north on Wilton and on 10th, and continue to circle the block on Carrismee, San Marino, Wilton and 10th, I knew and you knew. So he's basically saying, I watched you the whole time. I saw the cops. I watched the cops following you.
00:27:24
twistedtales
One was a late model Buick and another with disc wheels. Then later, only a few minutes, I saw a yellow Buick police car speeding towards your house. Of course, you didn't know any of these facts. That was sarcasm. Mr. Parker, I'm ashamed at you. I am vexed and disgusted with you. With this whole damn vicinity throbbing with my terrible crime, you try and save the day with your simple police tactics, yet you lied and schemed to come at me.
00:27:55
twistedtales
Only far enough to grab me and the girl too, you will never know how you disappointed your daughter. She was eager to know it would only be a short time when she would be free of my terrible, horrible torture, but then you messed the whole damn affair. Your daughter saw you, watched you, and then drove away severely brokenhearted because you couldn't have her in spite of my willingness. Merely because you, her father, wouldn't deal straight for her life. You are insane to portray your love for your daughter, to ignore my terms, to tamper with death. You remain reckless with death fast and on its way. How could the newspapers and get all these family and private pictures unless you gave it to them?
00:28:40
twistedtales
With all the quotations of yourself, Marionne's twin sister, her aunt, her school chums, all this continues after you receive my strict warnings. Today is the last day, I mean Saturday, December 19th, year 1927. I have cut the time in two days and only one more time will I phone you. I will be two billion times as cautious, as clever and as deadly from now on. You have brought this on yourself and you deserve it in words. A man who portrays the love of his daughter
00:29:12
twistedtales
is a second Judas Iscariot, many times more wicked than the worst modern criminal. If by 8 p.m. you have not received my call, then hold a quiet funeral service at your cemetery without the body. On Sunday the 18th, only God will know where the body of Maryam will rest in this event. Not much effort is needed to take her life. She may pass out before 8 p.m., so I could not afford to call you and ask you for the 1500s for her lifeless mass of flesh. I am base and low, but I will not stoop that to that depth, especially to an ungrateful person. When I call, if I call, I will tell you where to go and how to go. So if you go, don't have your friends following. Pray to God for forgiveness for your mistake last night and become honest with yourself and your blood. If you don't come in this good, clean, honest way, that is all. Signed, Fate Fox.
00:30:12
twistedtales
If you want it against me, ask God, not me.
00:30:17
twistedtales
I feel like there's a really, really, really certain place in hell for somebody like this. Did you hear that? That was really jacked up. He's like shit. And number one, Harry Parker didn't call the police. No. They followed him. Yeah. And he's talking about how disgusted and ashamed he is with the dad. The whole thing, that letter was like.
Mocking Letters and Demands
00:30:42
twistedtales
I can only imagine reading that letter. I would be sobbing. I agree with you. I would be seething. I would kill somebody. Yeah, 100%.
00:30:55
twistedtales
Yes, and if that's not bad enough, in with this letter was, once again, another letter from Marion stating, and dear daddy and mommy, daddy, please don't take anyone with you today. I'm sorry for what happened last night. We drove right by our house and I cried all night. If you don't meet us this morning, you'll never see me again. Love to all, Marion Parker. So now I want you to remember, she's only been kidnapped for 48 hours at this point. So you're still dealing with like trying to trying to process and you're getting these letters. So later that day, guess what? They get another special delivery. Oh my God. From the Telegram man. And this one states, right? P.M. Parker, please recover your senses. I want your money rather than to kill your child, but so far you've given me no alternative.
00:31:49
twistedtales
Of course you want your child, but you will never get her by notifying the police and causing all this publicity. I feel, however, you started to search before you received my warning, so I will not blame you for the bad beginning. Remember the three-day limit and make up for this lost time. Dismiss all authorities before it is too late. I'll give you one more chance. Get the money, the way I told you, and be ready to settle. I'll give you a chance to come across, and you will. Our Marion will die. Be sensible and good use judgment. You cannot deal with a mastermind like a common crook or kidnapper. Signed, Fox Fate. If you want it against me, ask God, not man. And if that's not enough for the day,
00:32:37
twistedtales
They get another knock and another telegram appears. At this point, I think I would beat the telegram man. But here's my thing. Here's what's killing me. Over the 1920s, there can't be like a Western Union on every corner. No. So why aren't they sitting at the telegram place? You have to go in! You can't send an email for the telegram. You have to go in the telegram place to write the telegram to have the telegram sent, right? Unless... You drive to another city that like... The telegram guy is the guy. That would have been a good twist, but that's not it. Damn it. I wish. But why are they... That was... I know. I saw the mosquito. Ew. That's the mosquito. I can pitch-slap you the way you did me that one time. I gave you a nice little dooch. Yeah. But, I mean...
00:33:28
twistedtales
Why are they not sitting at the telegram place? I know. I don't think people back then had any idea about anything ever. Well, they didn't have resources. They didn't have like technology. around and You know what I mean? Okay. All right. I'll accept that as an answer, but it doesn't take and a computer to tell you, hey, this guy keeps sending telegrams. Multiple a day! Maybe we should, like, sit on the telegram people. Yeah. At least get a description. I agree with that 100%. So. Hey, have you seen anybody that's been in there seven times today? Right? So for the third time this day. Yeah. Knock on the door. Guess what? Western Union. PM Parker. Fox is my name. Very sly, you know. No traps. I'll watch for them.
00:34:20
twistedtales
all the inside guys even your neighbor is adora b know what you get when you play with fire there is cause for burns get this straight remember life hangs by a thread and i have a gilette ready and able to handle this situation do you want the girl are the 75 100 gold certificate us currency you cannot have both and there is no way for the other way out. Believe this and act accordingly. Before this day is over, I will find how you stand. I am doing a solo, so figure on meeting the terms or else. Sign Fox Fate. If you want aid against me, ask God, not man. So... I'm still trying to piece that all together. There is no piecing madness together. Okay, touche. So for the fourth time that day, guess what?
00:35:16
twistedtales
like Knock, knock, knock. Western Union. I swear, I would i would attack. like It would be like a cartoon where I go through the door and just yeah the the the cloud of smoke and like you see fists coming out. That's that's what I would be irate. But I'm mad just every, because he's so smarmy. Like he started out being a real dick in the first letter where, you know, I'm ashamed of you and stuff, but now he's just, Fox is my name, Sly is my game. It's like a 1980s sitcom villain. Oh, 100% just effing with him. Oh yeah. So for the fourth time, the Parkers get another letter. These are all delivered the same day on this third day, all four of these. um And this is again,
00:36:02
twistedtales
just the third day since the little girl's been gone. And um again, this letter has the title death. Final chance terms. Number one, have $1,500 equal sign, $75, $20 gold certificates, US currency. Like the guy's gonna get China money, I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. Number two, Come alone and have no others following you are knowing the plant, the place of this meeting. Number four. Bring no weapons of any kind. Number three. This is the order he put them in the letter. This is not me being silly like number one B four. No, he labeled one, two, four, three.
00:36:52
twistedtales
Number three, come in the Essex co coach license number 544995, stay in the car. If I call, your girl will still be living. When you go to the place of the meeting, you will have a chance to see her. Then without a second hesitation, you must hand over the money. Parentheses, the slightest pause of misbehavior on your part will be tragic in parentheses. Seeing your daughter and transferring the currency will take only a moment. My car then will move slowly away from yours for about a block. You wait, and I will stop. I will let the girl out, then come and get her. Don't blunder. I have definitely done my part to warn you. Fate. If you want aid against me, ask God, not man.
Ransom Exchange and Tragic Discovery
00:37:49
twistedtales
So he's again setting up this meeting. It's for tonight. This is the guy's last chance to get his daughter back alive, right? So after this final letter, a telephone phone call comes into the Parker residence. Perry Parker spoke with the kidnapper. He said he understood the note very clearly, all the notes very clearly, and the line goes dead. Around 7.15 PM, the kidnapper calls back and told Parker the time has come. Perry Parker was to leave the house and meet the kidnapper, who would have Marion, at a place called Manhattan Place. It was a residential neighborhood. At this point, there's really not like a ton of street lights out, you know? So it's very dark. He's meeting him in the dark. It's not like he's gonna be able to see anything type of deal. Right. It's really trusting. What a chance you have. I understand that, dude. But at the same time, it's like, I'm gonna take the money. Then I'm gonna leave. Then I'll let your kid go.
00:38:49
twistedtales
Yeah, but the guy's already proven. The last time Perry didn't even know the cops were following him. And the guy, I mean, you don't have a choice here, but to follow this white job. So Perry Parker left us home to meet the kidnapper and get Mary on. He gets there and waits and around 8.15 PM, he sees headlights coming down the street towards him. A man pulls up next to him in a roadster convertible, and he's got a mask that covers the lower part of his face. It was described kind of like a bandana. He brandishes a sawed-off shotgun and points it in Perry's face asking, do you see this gun? Perry says, yes, sir. It's right there. You can actually probably taste the metal a little.
00:39:37
twistedtales
um and asks Perry, did you bring the money? Perry shows the man I've got the money right here that you asked for and says, where's Mary on? So the kidnapper leans back in his, in the driver's seat, he leans back and there appears to be Mary on the passenger seat with a blanket over her head. What it appears like? which ches like which is not something I like. Not something you like, but the kidnapper picks up the blanket quickly and Perry is actually able to see Marion's face. She is actually sitting there under this blanket. Alive? Yeah. Perry hands over the money without a second hesitation. And the man tells Perry, I'm going to drive up a little bit and I'll drop Marion off. Hold tight. He drives down about 200 feet and the kidnapper stops the car.
00:40:25
twistedtales
and Perry watches as he pushes this the bundled blanket of his daughter through the door, slams it shut, and drives off. However, at this point, Perry doesn't give a crap about the car anymore, doesn't care about the guy driving the kidnapper, because his little girl is literally like feet away, yeah wrapped up in a blanket, so he takes off running, screaming her name. just scream in her name. um As he's running, he can see her. She's literally like, he said it looks like he can see her face visible looking at him. And she's like, tacoed in a blanket. Like her knees are crunched up almost like a fetal position. And this blanket is like, just cinched around her so tightly, swaddled almost. She can't move. And as he gets closer, he noticed the bundle seems really small. But again, her knees are up. She looks like she's in like the ah fetal position.
00:41:14
twistedtales
and um But her eyes aren't really tracking him. And they look to be a little dull. He said, and he said, there's something wrong with her eyelashes. He can't really tell. And he starts to run slower. And he's still calling out her name, but he's not yelling anymore. It's a whisper. And it's almost like his body's reacting to what his mind refuses to accept. do So he gets there and he realizes that he was wrong. Her knees are not up to her chest. He was so wrong because they're not there. In the bundle of blankets where Marianne is supposed to be waiting, there's only her head and her trunk, about two inches below her belly button, swaddled in this blanket.
00:42:05
twistedtales
Her forearms have been disarticulated above the elbows, removed. They were said to be cuts at her shoulders where it looked like he was trying to remove her at the shoulders, but he couldn't. um Perry cried out in agony. He screamed so broken heartedly and so like blood curling. The whole neighborhood heard his cries. and knew something was wrong. Multiple people called the police. And within seven minutes, the police are already on the scene because that many people heard this man just wail. The police find that Perry's already placed what's left of his daughter's body in the backseat of his car. And he is inconsolable. You see, she was clearly dead. Yeah. Like I said, okay.
00:42:54
twistedtales
The detectives notice as they're looking at her, you know, there's just the stump, two inches below the belly button in the head, bit of the arms, that um there are threads fastened to each of her eyelids that go around her forehead and zoom into the linen that was around her neck to keep her eyelids open. That was what was wrong with her eyelashes. She was still wearing the same dress that she had on for her school Christmas party just three days before. She had some Brazilian nut shells where she'd eaten some nuts in her pockets of her dress. She still had her sweater on buttoned all the way to the tippity top. Her face had makeup on it, which was not something the girls were allowed to wear. It's assumed that the killer put it there to make her look like she was alive for when he picked up that blanket. Same with stitching the eyelids open.
00:43:46
twistedtales
um The killer had also tucked multiple towels into an abdominal cavity to stop leaking. um Fortunately, one of these towels left a clue there was a name of a local hotel called the Bellevue Apartments on the um the towel gives something to go on. A few miles away while the police are noticing all this about this body, right? And Perry is trying to come to terms with the fact that his daughter's butchered.
00:44:18
twistedtales
at approximately around the exact same time, a man comes upon four parcels wrapped in newspapers scattered along the road. It's a week before Christmas. This guy's assuming somebody's somebody's dropped the mother lode and he, you know, Yahtzee. So he's curious. He, you know, wants to see inside the bundles. And there are no toys here, but instead pieces of Marion Parker's arms, hands, and some of her internal organs. About another 150 miles away, at around the same time, two boys are hiking when they find a wrapped package. Also too curious for their own good and want to know what's inside it, open it, and they find the lower waist, thighs, and knees of Marion Parker.
00:45:03
twistedtales
And then on December, on Sunday, December 18th, four days after she was taken, actually not even four days, she was taken Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, fourth day, near Manhattan Place, where the state exchange had actually happened, a woman found a suitcase and opened it. And inside there was a notepad. And when the police investigated, there were still press marks from where Marion had written her last letter to her parents, and you know where you can see that. Um, there were two bloody new papers and a spool of thread that matched the ones, the thread that had been used to sew Marion's eyes open.
Impact and Search for Killer
00:45:42
twistedtales
Mass hysteria took over Los Angeles and honestly, throughout a good portion of the United States, as this girl was taken right from her school, middle of the day and butchered here, not even two weeks before Christmas.
00:45:59
twistedtales
as police officers are looking into it like not even 72 hours later. Mm hmm. Like quick. To a normal white collar family. Yeah. Blue collar family. Like this isn't the Rockefellers. This isn't movie stars. This is normal George and Mary Smith up the street. No enemies, nothing bad, no affairs, no hidden skeletons, nothing. This is a normal family whose daughter was taken out of school and butchered. I still like an animal, like understand how he knew the parents names. Yeah, dad's name. Mm hmm. So. The police officers are looking into this case and everything. um The killer. Is that looking for dinner?
00:46:50
twistedtales
He does ditch the roadster he's driving. He goes to a parking lot, leaves it with the parking attendant, says, I'll be back for this in a few days. Just not leave it parked here, don't have it towed. It's Christmas time, buddy, type of deal. And um because of the high profile of this case and the entire United States being in an uproar, police immediately put out an APB on the roadster. They knew the roadster because of the school thought Um, which is how the parking lot attendant hears about they're looking for this car. I know this car. I see this car immediately calls the police and tells them it's here. It's parked in my parking lot. I have nothing to do with it. It's here. And says the driver came and said he'd be back for it and on this day. So come on, do whatever you need to do. Here it is. Yeah. Um, they run the plates on the car and unfortunately it was stolen from a doctor out of Kansas city the year before reported dead in. on
00:47:48
twistedtales
So while the police are taking apart this car across town, the dealer's had a nice dinner and he's going into the local theater to catch himself a movie. Maybe get some of that buttery popcorn. Okay. And as the police are sitting here staking out waiting for him to come back and get this car. Now, here's the deal.
00:48:10
twistedtales
This guy is spending his money because he has money to spend, right? Those US currency gold certificates. But he didn't ask for cash. He asked for gold certificates. Those have serial numbers on it. You can't just walk into a store and give them a gold certificate. Like you have to go cash those in, right? Yeah, you would think. Yeah, yeah. 100%. So the cops have a pretty good plan on how we're going to track him. The entire United States is invested in this. Like this story has gone global. Everyone wants this this man found.
00:48:43
twistedtales
They're horrified. yeah Because every gruesome detail, every gruesome detail's out there.
Hickman's Background
00:48:49
twistedtales
The parents have nowhere to hide. So um while he's watching his movie eating in this popcorn, the police have been able to fingerprint the stolen car and run them and are able to figure out who the kidnapper killer is. His name is William Edward Hickman. So who is William Edward Hickman? who is actually right now the most hated man in the United States of America. It's actually reported in the and in a lot of it. And I know and I don't think H.H. Holmes had actually like come to fruition yet. Yeah. But it is said newspapers everything. This is the most horrific crime of the 1920s. The whole decade. This one takes which it was bad. That's awful. like Go ahead. You hear about like crap that happens to like adults, men, women, whatever. But yeah, something happens to a kid. It hits different.
00:49:41
twistedtales
at Christmas. It's not even just that. but It's not anything. But how are you ever going to have a Christmas season again without remembering your child was butchered? Yep. So even if it's not the Christmas season, like, well, I just I hate it when it's when it's when it's around holidays, it seems to hit harder for me for some reason. I agree. So this man is the most hated person in the United States. But who is he? I want to tell you a little about him. He was born in 1908 to William and Eva Hickman in Arkansas. And just in case you don't have your common core math skills up to date, that means at the time this crime happened, this person is 19 years old.
00:50:27
twistedtales
Which, yeah. Wow. So um William had three brothers growing up and one sister. Apparently his father had a wandering eye, which led to multiple extramarital affairs. Um, so I'm guessing it probably wasn't the happiest of homes. And you're thinking a 19 year old kid that can do this to a sixth grader, like, you know, right kind of home they have, right? You would think. So, um honestly, it's surprising how how not how normal this should be. ah the The dad had affairs, cheated on the mom. Who has who hasn't had someone cheat on you, right? yeah The mom um used this affairs to blame her emotional issues. ah She threatened multiple times verbally to harm her children. She attempted suicide multiple times, which led her being put in a mental institution when William was three.
00:51:25
twistedtales
So all this emotional upheaval was when he was one to three. I'm sorry you don't have a memory of that time. I don't think so. um When she left. I'm sure like scarring shit happens to kids. Yeah. 100%. But not like. Yeah. Mommy cheated on daddy. Yeah. Yeah. After spending a year in the institution, his mom got out in 1921. She left her husband, who were off for her. She packed up all her kids, left Arkansas, moved to Kansas City. William went to Central High School and in Kansas City. He was known as a mild-mannered, popular, smart kid, got great grades, and elected to the student council three years in a row.
00:52:08
twistedtales
This kid was an overachiever. okay He was the vice president of a senior class, president of the school's chapter of the National Honor Society, president of the Central Webster Club, which was another honor club, president of the Central Classic Club, yet another honor club, president of the debate team, business manager of the school paper, the literary editor of the school paper, and voted best boy aerator by his classmates. So this isn't a loner. So let me like was a bull just state like the obvious right now. like Is he just extreme narcissist? Well, you'd think so, but apparently no. Apparently he had, ah we'll get to his trauma here in a minute. He also attended a Baptist church, regularly local. He played on the church's basketball team. He had classmates. I mean, this this is the kind of kid he was. There's a story is true story that he had a classmate who was diagnosed with tuberculosis when they were juniors.
00:53:08
twistedtales
William visited that kid every single day until the kid died and there was a pallbearer at his funeral. Because he wanted to make sure the kid knew like his friends hadn't forgotten about him. So how do you go from being that to butchering a sixth grader? yeah I ask you. I ask you the same. Well, um his mom knows what happened. His mom knows the turning point of his life. So as stated, he was a member of the debate team and he helped take his team all the way to the national debate challenge, whatever it is. And he spent- You tell me that he lost the debate and butchered his six-year-old. I'm gonna smack you in the face. Well, he spent a year prepping for this debate. It was big time. And when it came time for him to take the stage and do the debate, he choked. He fumbled. He couldn't even get his debate out.
00:53:59
twistedtales
This humiliating defeat in the face of his peers is what his mother attributes to his downfall. Losing a high school debate. Now, it does seem like William took a turn. When he when he choked on this debate, he came back and quit every single extracurricular he had at school because of this failure. um He abandoned every single friend he had. he His grades completely like fell through the floor, bombed every class, and he pretty much gave up. like He couldn't finish a high school debate, so he, you know, give him the old yeller, I guess. yeah After graduation, he went to a local community college and dropped out only after nine days and got a job at a local library, and that was gonna be his life. but Because he he failed a high school debate. While working at the library, he met a boy by the name of Welby Hunt.
00:54:57
twistedtales
Welby Hunt was 16. At this point, William was 17, 18. And they're not good for each other. They're not. They decide they're going to rob a local candy store together. All right. So they did. And they made it out for $70 whole dollars, which in the 1920s, which I got to say, the fact that he was, he kidnapped this girl, which I don't know. I know I didn't, I meant to look up the inflation and I didn't, but to he ransomed the girl for $1,500. Yeah. $1,500. Yeah. That's it. Well, and nowadays, honey, $15,000 is a pisshole on a
Crime Spree Begins
00:55:34
twistedtales
Sunday. I know. But when you think about, like, when I just heard $1,500, I was like, you freaking kidding me? I'll give you $1,500 for it. Like, I meant to look up the inflation rate, but I didn't. Anyway. That's fine. Forgot that. All right. So they they they get the candy store, rob the candy store, make off with $70. In the summer of 1926, year before, they decide they're going to move to LA together.
00:55:57
twistedtales
And William tells his mother he's gonna go there to become a star. William's obsessed with movies. If you can't tell, he's already been to the theater multiple times. He's gonna move here. This is his new dream. He can't debate in public, but he can do a movie. So... On December 5th, 1926, Hicksman and Hunt have, ah they've they've moved to ah LA, they live in LA, and they decide they're gonna rob a pharmacy in LA. They need some money, you know? yeah So they robbed this pharmacy owned by Ivy Toms. They walk in the pharmacy with pistols blazing and wearing masks, declaring, this is a hold up, stick them up, stay still, stick them up.
00:56:38
twistedtales
There are pharmacy owners there and there are three people there waiting in line for pharmacies. um One of which is an off-duty cop. okay So as the cop goes to put his hands up, he pulls his side piece and they have a shootout. Now this story would never have gotten, we wouldn't have had any of this if the cop had just popped him one. But apparently these two morons, who are just firing wildly, get a lucky shot and manage to shoot the cop right in the gut. oh It doesn't kill him, but it injures them taking him down and in all these shots They also end up killing the pharmacist with the bullet through the chest They do you manage to get away But this is they killed someone. Yeah And this is literally almost a year to the date before Mariam. This is December 5th December 7th 17th is when everything literally a year before okay, so a few weeks later in January um after the pharmacy heist I guess
00:57:37
twistedtales
No movie, theater no movies are taking him yet. Yeah, obviously he's on a list. um Hickman gets a job at the local bank, First National Trust and Savings Bank. Yes, the bank where Perry Parker works. Everything was running smoothly until June 1927.
00:57:58
twistedtales
Couple of months before Marin was taken, when Hickman was charged with forging checks caught by none other than Perry Parker. Perry caught him forging checks and turned him in and he was arrested. However, Hickman lied about his age and said he was only like 16, 17. So he was placed in the juvenile court system, put on probation and shipped back to his mother's house in Kansas. And one of the people I was listening to this was like they didn't verify his age like, OK.
00:58:30
twistedtales
And this is the same kid that the school said was a middle-aged man at the beginning of the story. yeah So you can't have both ends of the spectrum here. yeah like They ship him back to Kansas. Here's your sign. So in this story, the school has failed and the court system has failed. yeah So back in Kansas, he starts working and as as an usher in a local movie theater. if you can't You can't because yeah act right. if You can't do teach like, you know, if you can't. Oh, yeah. But I mean, I guess if you if you can't act in the movie, I'll show you. So at some point he moved to Pennsylvania for a for couple of months. I don't know why he moved to Pennsylvania. He just often moved to Pennsylvania while there. Someone matching his description robbed a gas station and killed the manager at said gas station.
00:59:18
twistedtales
but wasn't him, I'm sure. oh okay um And a few days later, October, 1927, Hickman moves back to Canvas, which is when he stole the Roadster from the doctor in Kansas City and drove all the way back to Los Angeles, renting an apartment at the Bellevue Apartments, where he stayed where his stay started November, 1927, just a mere two to three weeks before Marion's kidnapping. While in LA, this is not the first strawberry, this is he's moved back to LA, we're gonna do the same thing and rob a pharmacy again. On Sunset Boulevard, he was said to be looking for chloroform and ether during this robbery. and Couldn't find it, so he went and busted in and robbed a different pharmacy, looking for the same items, but all he ended up with for these two robberies was some sleeping pills and 80 bucks.
01:00:09
twistedtales
um And it's actually said while he was in l LA before in these this few little weeks He actually told a couple that he was he met out that he planned on kidnapping a kid to get some real money But I mean honestly if you hear someone say that you're probably thinking alright drunker Like nobody's gonna really kidnap a kid for money he did ah so back to the present and Nowadays, on the other hand. Oh, yeah. Nowadays, you say it and you've got like 20 citizens arrested. I would be like, yeah. OK, yeah, not even
Investigation and Pursuit
01:00:39
twistedtales
close. So the police know who they're looking for, but they don't know where to look. The only thing they have is this towel with the logo of Bellevue Apartments. So that's where they go. And they start interviewing the tenants there.
01:00:55
twistedtales
One tenant tells him that there's a guy that lives up up there. His name is Donald Evans. Side note, guess who Donald Evans is. And he was seen Saturday night carrying a suitcase with a couple bundles to his car, and he lives up there in 315. It's Donald Evans. So they enter an apartment 315, and they found Brazilian nut shells on the floor, matching to the ones in Marion's pockets. And throughout the apartment, there is a lot of evidence of Hickman and Marion's presence was there. It's obvious that he has taken his stuff and he has no intention of coming in back. So like he knows his, you know, he's not an idiot. Yeah. Even though he appears to be an idiot. Yeah. So Hickman's on the run. And after a quick armed robbery of another car hijacking, if you will, he decides to take a road trip from L.A. Who needs this town anymore?
01:01:48
twistedtales
um But there's, again, I can't express to you the mass hysteria the nation has. And everyone wants William Hickman arrested. Now, it's not like today where we're plasting pictures, Amber Alerts, pictures on Facebook, pictures on Twitter, pictures on the news. like You've got radio personnel reading a description of a man. yep And the entire nation frothing
01:02:19
twistedtales
to see this man punished for what he's done. We're not even talking a week. We're all bam right there in the same five day period. They want to hang them and hang them high, as you would say. yeah So they've got this description, the people of America, not the police, the people. And multiple people start getting arrested. like everyone who even matches the general descriptions, it's citizens arrests, it's police arrests. One poor guy was actually arrested five different times and accused of being William and Hickman. He was not. In just a matter of like 24 to 48 hours, he was arrested five times. okay He was finally given an exemption pass by the police, think adult hall pass, so that he couldn't get arrested a again saying,
01:03:11
twistedtales
stamped, exemption, not William Hickman by order of whatever police department. right So many people were falsely accused and arrested of William Hickman that this exemption pass became common to be handed out once you prove that you, if you match the description, once you proved you're not William Hickman, you got an exemption pass because people would kill you. yeah There was another example of a man being a man He committed a burglary and was arrested, and as he was walking through the jail, one of the inmates in the cell yelled, Hey, that's William Hickman! And that night, that man was beat to death by the other inmates. Like, no one, no one gave a quarter when it came to if you looked like this man. yeah I bet women's hair dye products were going out the window.
01:03:59
twistedtales
Like, yeah you remotely looked like him. You literally just went and turned yourself into the cops to prove you weren't him so you get the exemption passed. And I'd hang it on a lanyard around my neck. Yeah. Because nobody was having any of it. Hell yeah. Which I, you know, good. Yeah. At least, there I mean, not to kill innocent innocent people, but they took it seriously. Yeah. So. Yeah, but when there's that much heat on something. Oh yeah. It's something that devastating. Come on, man. Yeah. It's not people being unreasonable. No, people but that one. Can you imagine looking like like that one poor guy in like a day and a half was arrested five times by the police. I cut my face. I mean, I wouldn't have left my house. But then you got people just saying he looks like him. He has a lot to bet he's hiding out. Yeah.
01:04:43
twistedtales
No, I literally like would have made like a serious scar on my face. like i mean And just been like, no, not me. But it was serious. like and you couldn't And it was all over the US. s people If you vaguely looked at this guy, you were arrested and hauled to jail so you could prove you were not him. Wow. like Nobody. Nobody was getting a pass. So on Wednesday, literally, they find out about the murder Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. All this is just like bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. Because of all the telegraphs at the beginning, I feel like you feel like it's days. But he was just sending so many a day that it's also condensed. So on Wednesday, a few days after the murder, the Seattle Sheriff Police Department received a letter.
01:05:28
twistedtales
Guess who, guess who loves pinball? I was just going to say, dude. Yep. Sure. Was it a telegram? Right. It says I am tired of this. Would I be given fair play if I surrender? I did not intent on killing Marion. I didn't mean to harm her. I only wanted to put her to sleep. I did not want her to suffer as she was a good girl and she was not afraid of me at any time and did not suffer. She only wanted to go home and would have safely left safely if my plans had not failed. Will this make any difference? This is the truth. The Fox. Number one, you had one, two, three, four, five, six parcels, a blanket and a suitcase with the different body parts and you're telling me she didn't suffer? Really? Yeah. Yeah.
Hickman's Arrest and Trial
01:06:20
twistedtales
So, after this letter was received and you pretty much know, hey, he's in the vicinity, it doesn't take long for police to actually catch up with all Hickman here. yep Thanks to the gold certificates, um he goes because Seattle's cold, you know, and rainy, so he went to buy himself some long johns and some mittens, no lie, using his gold certificates, Police are called, everyone in the freaking world is looking for this dude. yeah He gives like a little mini chase, like, I'm gonna pretend like I don't want you to catch me but I'm kinda tired so I want you to catch me type of deal I guess. Finally gives up and he's arrested. Bring him to the court, Seattle ships him back to LA to face his crimes.
01:07:06
twistedtales
He won't speak to any of the detectives. He won't speak to the police. he won't He won't confess anything. He did, however, reach out to a reporter in LA to give his side of the story. So he gives his confession to this l LA reporter. And it says, and again, I quote, I happen to remember that Mr. Parker had a daughter and he would take her downtown and buy her lunch. And she was around the bank like she was a big man. She was having a nice day with her daddy, you prick. But okay, you're intimidated by a sixth grade girl. Can I like just intervene? You go ahead. Interject for like a second. Right ahead. Because dude, who the fuck would would post that?
01:07:51
twistedtales
yeah Why would you write that story? The little girl walked around like she was a big man because her daddy took her on a lunch date. you're You were looking at parents that just found not their daughter's body. Like the dad found no pieces. Pieces of their daughter's body. Yeah. over a nutcase and you thought to yourself I'm gonna like your piece of shit yeah oh yeah oh yeah big ol big ol hundred because like yeah ah come on honest to god yep that's twisted yep I understand that there needs to be news but you shouldn't report that you're part of the problem when you do not put news no
01:08:43
twistedtales
of what they're telling you and what they did to your kid. Yes. And then especially. Yeah, especially if he's trying to justify what he did. So she walked around like a cocky little thing at the bank in fifth, sixth grade. Yeah. Yeah. Frickin break like your piece of shit. Yeah. And I can say that 110 percent. Oh, anybody that reports on the same kind of thing now. You're a piece of shit. 100%. Yeah. Now, if dude's not guilty. Sure. And he wants to tell us a story. But you're going to talk like that after they become a butchered little girl. Yeah. You're a piece of shit. So he's. Sorry, I just want to. You're fine. You're fine. You've been very quiet this whole story. So. He then goes on to explain to the reporter how he watched the Parker's house for days, few days until he until the day that he took her.
01:09:40
twistedtales
he said that morning he parked up the street and he watched her get into the street car. Modern day term for this is called stalking. um He said that he worried about, he said that um he watched her When he got her in the car afterwards, you know, she was told her dad was in a car wreck. So he explained that she was really worried about her dad. But mainly they just talked about the movies they liked and comic strips. He said, and this is a direct quote, I really kind of liked her. I could not look at her in the face when I told her she was kidnapped, but you could butcher her.
01:10:17
twistedtales
When I told her nothing had happened to her father, she didn't scream or cry or worry. She was calm as could be. Then he said he took her to the movies. They laughed together. They had a great day. He told the reporter um he told the reporter he gave her to an accomplice that night. because he couldn't keep her. And then he didn't see her again until the next day. But the next morning when they saw each other again, she begged him, begged him to let him let her stay with him. She said it was because he was so much nicer than the other man. And he said, you know, he told her, Marion, I'm my accomplice scares me too. And he's actually the one in charge. So I can't take you away from him. Yeah.
01:11:03
twistedtales
And the next day, out of nowhere, the accomplice showed up to his house with a suitcase that contained Marion's mutilated body. And he said, I am terribly sorry that she was killed because I sure liked her. Wow. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Uh huh. Yeah. Yeah. The accomplice did it. Yeah. Here's the accomplice. And we'll find out. So for trial, Hickman was given a court-appointed attorney. Aha. Yay. Who decided that he was going to use the insanity defense? Mainly because... Okay, we are going to have to Google.
01:11:50
twistedtales
Yeah, well how long has that defense that been around because this is brand new the insanity fence just Okay, I'm fixing get into that I was just gonna say because like on some of the other podcasts we've done we talked about people that are feeble-minded Yes, and some of the things that they used to say about people with a little bit. of yeah it Yeah Remember this guy Fox's his name Sly is his game. Oh, yeah You want help from me, talk to God, not man. Yeah. But this guy, this attorney honestly believed anyone that could do this crime was insane. Like you had to be insane to butcher a little girl. He has to be insane. Yeah, it's a pretty logical explanation, right? But that doesn't mean you can't be guilty for that crime. Well, and and and the insanity fence just became legal in the state of California. This is brand new. Lebes and Loeb just happened.
01:12:40
twistedtales
Like this is this is new groundbreaking court defense strategy here. Yeah. And if you had a court appointed case that mutilated and butchered a six year old little girl and you just heard, hey, you can say insanity. It's a real defense now. By God, what else are you going to go with? There are just so many different circumstances for insanity. Yes. When it's insanity and self-defense and you accidentally kill somebody, that's something totally different. When you willingly and plan out kidnapping and murdering someone, yeah yeah that is not insanity, son. You knew what you were doing. Well, here's the thing. Insanity is brand new at this time. Yeah. And it's not like it is today. You can't just throw out insanity.
01:13:21
twistedtales
So at this point, Hickman's story changes and the accomplice disappears. There's no accomplice. Why? Why would you why would the accomplice disappear? You ask. Well, because he imagined it. No, because in the state of California, per the law, in order to claim insanity, you have to say you're guilty of the crime. You have to plead guilty. OK. And they do the way it was back then is you had to plead guilty and say that you were insane at the time. And if you were ever filmed sane at any point in time, you could be charged again for those crimes. okay Because you were guilty of those crimes. You pled guilty of those crimes. I like that option better. I agree. We're not rehabilitating you. now We're going to make it to where you're not crazy, and then we're going to hang you. So because he pled insanity, he had to meet with a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist said,
01:14:11
twistedtales
and I give a direct quote here. There's nothing to indicate insanity. He said he doesn't like girls, he's deep religious, he he his ambition is to become a minister. He said he took this side since God willed it and it had to be. But he's not crazy, he's not insane. This is my medical opinion. yeah So when Hickman found out that the death penalty was on the table, he decided I'm not gonna let the state kill me, I'm gonna kill myself. So attempt number one, he got on the top of his bunk bed in prison and swan dive off of it head first, bunked his head and got a headache, was given some ibuprofen and told don't go to sleep for a little bit basically. Okay. So that attempt at suicide didn't work.
01:15:00
twistedtales
Excuse me. The second time he tied a handkerchief around his neck, tied it to a post, jumped, The cops heard a thump, went and looked, cut him down. Bob's your uncle. Still alive, sucker. okay Eventually, Hickman makes a full confession. Sorry. Really? Yeah, his ah he actually confessed a full confession of what actually happened to one of his lawyers who wrote a book about it. I wrote a book about the whole crime. um It's called, ah the the I wish I could remember the exact title of the book, but I'll post it in the the show notes and in our social media, because the book is like heartbreakingly titled, like daddy, I want to come home. Oh, come on, man. Like awful, right? So here is a synopsis of his confession, what actually happened
01:15:53
twistedtales
in this kidnapping murder, per him, to his lawyers, and it's, you know. So he said he stole her from the school. He drove around and told her she'd go free in a day or two after he got the money from her father. Okay. A lie, your dad's not hurt. You're actually being kidnapped. It's cool. We're gonna hang out for the weekend. Your dad's gonna give you some money. You're gonna go home. Bob's your uncle. You're fine. He said that she stayed calm. She promised to behave, but she made him promise not to tie her up. She didn't want to be tied up. And they drove around. They talked. They laughed. And she even told him that she liked driving around and confided in him that she actually had a dream a few days ago before she was kidnapped, saying that someone called her at school and she was kidnapped. Show them about this dream. This dream actually happened.
01:16:49
twistedtales
that's not That's not bullshit. like so She told several people about this dream that 24, 48 hours before this actually happened. Are you kidding me? No. That's... Creepy. Yeah. So multiple people could confirm when this book came out that she actually, she told her friends, she told her parents, she told her sister, like she dreamed that she was at school, she got a call, and she was kidnapped. Exactly what happened. He said it was very nice to hear her and like they honestly had a good time. she He knew that she trusted him to keep her safe. Like they kind of had this camaraderie in these days. ah The first night of her kidnapping, he took her to a movie and they laughed. They talked and she ended up falling asleep on the couch that night.
01:17:36
twistedtales
Like this is, she's in sixth grade, but it's not like sixth grade girls today. Like it's a very naive time back then still. So I don't think she really understood yeah the gravity of the situation she was in. So the next morning it hit sunk in. yeah And she he said that she woke up crying. She was really upset. So to help her, he said, why don't you write your parents a note? I'll give it to him. And that's when all the those letters came the next day. He did have to break his promise. He tied her up. So he'd go mail the letter.
01:18:14
twistedtales
And he came back after he and he untied her and um they drove around a little bit again, talked some more because that night was the night he was gonna go meet Perry and trade the money for Marion. And that was the night the police tell Perry. ye So up to this point, it literally for him, he's a 19 year old kid. He just wants money out of it. Kind of a stick you to Perry for getting him arrested. yeah Like no ill intentions. He's back to the president of everything, like back good, you know, right before the debate fell back in high school type of deal. yeah The police driving was like the debate fell where he just 180'd his life yeah over something. So that's what the police trailing Perry and him feeling betrayed by Perry flipped a switch.
01:19:06
twistedtales
The next morning he said she woke up and she starts crying again. She's even more upset. She saw her dad the night before. She wants to go home. yeah She's a child. yeah But um he's pissed. Hickman is pissed. That whole night after the police trailed Perry, he literally stood all night about Perry screwing him over. So the next morning when she woke up and she's crying and she's scared and she's upset, he said she just started to become troublesome. She wouldn't eat. She cried all day. Like literally, she cried all day until she ended up passing out from crying. Like you you've got a kid, you know you know. Yeah. So she cried. She refused to eat all day. She wouldn't drink anything. She just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed till she passed out. So when she passed out, he picked her up.
01:20:00
twistedtales
and tied her up and puts her in this chair, ties her to the chair and shoves a dish rag in her mouth because he's gonna go melt some more letters. That's his thing now. Well, she he woke her up when she's shoving that rag in her mouth. He leaves, sick of it. When he comes back, she's screaming, crying through the rag still. and sobbing. She's having a hard time breathing because she's got this rag shove in her mouth. And he said that her eyes were wide with terror when she looked at him. No shit, Sherlock. Yeah. But he told the attorney that he felt remorse when he saw her eyes. But he still really wanted that money. So what's the guy to do? Oh, my God. He untied the dishwash, removed the towel, and Marion was relieved.
01:20:53
twistedtales
But at this point, he's so angry that the urge to kill just overtook him. So he tells her, you need to calm down. You know, you've just let's put this towel, this cold towel around your neck, just lean back. And when she did, he put his hands in front of her and used every bit of his strength to strangle her to death with her bear with his bare hands with the dish towel. She fought. She kicked. She gasped. She clawed. And he choked her to death. Piece of shit. So then he sat there all night staring at the dead body. Because what's he what's he going to do now? This is that first night, remember that horrible letter that he's so disgusted with him and so did oh, yeah, he's killed his daughter after he wrote that letter. Yeah, he's already killed her. She's dead. Yeah. That second letter, daddy, please give him what he wants. She's dead. Yeah.
01:21:52
twistedtales
So he walked he stayed up all night walk looking at this dead body. He gets up the next morning, goes to the store to get some makeup, because he wants her to look alive for this trade-off. Upon arriving home, he realizes he's got a problem. Because she's a kid, but people are going to notice him carrying a dead kid out of the house. So how's he going to do that? He can't get her out of the house people because he lives in the hotel. And as he's trying to ponder this problem, he sees a suitcase and thinks, I got to get her to fit in that. a So he, in the next fast forward 30 seconds, if you don't want to hear just horrific, horrificness, not that this story has been a piece of cake, but yeah, picks her dead body up and he takes her to the bathroom. He ties.
01:22:49
twistedtales
towel strips around her ankles and uses that to hoist her body up over the drain using the towel rack. As her body hung there, he remembers about his work at a poultry farm when he used to disembowel and disarticulate chickens and realized that's what I gotta to do to make her fit in that suitcase. So he turns on the water And he watches, um I guess he makes some slits to drain the blood. So he watches the blood run down the shower drain for a minute and you know, it's been a lot of work. So I'm gonna let her drain out and I'm gonna get a little snacky from the kitchen real quick. I'll come back and check. So that's what he does. He leaves her there, bleeding out while he goes and has himself a little chicken pot pie in the kitchen or whatever he eats. He comes back and
01:23:41
twistedtales
He attempts to disembowel her, but when he opens up her abdomen, he doesn't know human physiology as well as chickens, I guess. And the smell was so bad, he vomits on her. And then he washes um like her torso and cuts through her backbone. When he cuts through her spine, because the nerves, her body starts to jerk around and jerks so forcefully it jerked itself out of the bathtub. She's dead, but she flops out. You're killing me right now. yeah That's so fucked up. This is his re-accounting of what happened. So he had to end up wrapping her head and kind of cradling it to the torso so the head wouldn't become attached because he needed the head attached to the torso to make it look like she was sitting there.
01:24:34
twistedtales
So he picked her up, he dressed her back in her dress, he put makeup on her face, sewed her eyelids open, he brushed her hair, he styled her hair, he put a cute little bow in her hair, put her in the car and went to meet her dad.
01:24:51
twistedtales
um Hickman's trial started January 25th, 1928. This was in December, so literally next. Over a thousand people showed up to watch this man be condemned. yeah Everyone's invested. um Hickman stood before the court and made his confession and then his lawyer pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Because again, you can't claim insanity unless you say you're guilty and confess your sins. However, the court decided that he could tell right from wrong. So he was saying, so he was guilty. You just said you're guilty and we're gonna send you to death. Bye-bye. Thank you. Yep. um Hickman told people, I do not believe I'm insane, but I am different than other people.
Hickman's Execution
01:25:40
twistedtales
On October 19th, 1928, they did not wait even a whole year, thank God, at 958 AM,
01:25:48
twistedtales
He was led to the gallows. And I'm going to give you all this piece just because I feel like you need it. OK. So he has to walk up the 13 steps to the hangman's news, right? Yep. And I guess he got scared and literally at the top step just passes out. Thanks. They don't give a crap. Drag his ass the rest of the way up there. Put the noose on his neck. Like you're not getting out of it. Yeah. Right. um And I want to get this part of it. I had it. I hope I still have it pulled up for you. Oh, you're good. Take your time. It's all good. Oh, no, it's worth it. So.
01:26:27
twistedtales
um He actually like he tried to appeal, obviously, court said, Nana, banana, you're gone. Yeah. No, no, no, no. Yeah. a So he was he was hanged um in October. So he's hanged in the gallows in St. Quentin Prison. So he passes out. They still drag his body up there, put the noose on his neck upon falling through the trap doors of the gallow. He struck his head on the way down on like the trap door, like the know the wood planking or whatever. Yeah. And hung.
01:27:04
twistedtales
direct quote, violently twitching and jerking. Good. Uh-huh. Per witnesses there. It took approximately two minutes for his body to stop twitching and for him to die. They performed an autopsy after his execution, which showed that Hickman's neck did not break, break during the hanging. Yeah. He died from asphyxiation, which I think is appropriate. I thought like, I'm glad that they sentenced him to death, but I'm glad that it wasn't quick for him. because he took his time to tear apart this little girl. yeah And I think it's appropriate that passed out. They still strapped him up. He hit his head on the way down because he hit his head. That's what caused like it kind of stunted him. So his neck didn't break. And he literally died twitching to death of not being able to breathe by strangulation, if you will. Yes. Just like she did.
Aftermath for the Parker Family
01:27:58
twistedtales
Oh, my God. So ah for the Parker family, Perry Parker literally spent the next 16 years of his life trying to return his family to some sort of normalcy. Yeah, I'm sure um he died like in his late 70s. His life died in her 70s. His sister, her sister, her sister. Yeah. Marjorie lived a life, got married, died in her 70s. In 1981, she died. Like they had a good life. Good. Um, but I just want to mind you of one quick little, one, one little thing. I've talked to Ms. Hope and I'm satisfied. I would acted in the same as she given the circumstances.
01:28:45
twistedtales
That was the superintendent's statement. And this little girl was taken from school with all this that happened to her. He's confident that she did the right thing. All right. So I'm going to press that button that I talked about earlier about the the Julia Stiles Dexter episode where you just hunted down everybody.
Reflection on Justice and Farewell
01:29:05
twistedtales
Yep. I feel like I would. Yep. I will say, though, like he he he still had a family to raise. Yeah. So I get I get why, you know, I'm just saying. And and the person that was responsible for it
01:29:24
twistedtales
Guy wasn't even a full calendar year. And yes. And the way it should be. Yes. A hundred percent. I was trying to find after repeal eight million friggin. No. Shannon Christiansen. Yeah. So totally. No. And a matter of fact. I'm still on board for petitions. We were just talking about petitions. What? Mm hmm. Two weeks ago. My brother's a dick. Yes, he is.
01:29:53
twistedtales
Wow. Yeah. That was intense, dude. Yeah. You ready to send your kid to school in three days?
01:30:03
twistedtales
I feel like I'd be maybe a little more violent. i don't I don't know. I just like, once you know the whole story,
01:30:16
twistedtales
The fact that the superintendent feels everything was fine makes me want to punch him in the face. Oh, yeah. But once you know what Hickman did to that little girl, and if you go back and read the letters he sent to her parents after he did that to her. Yeah. Those letters hit differently. I'm disgusted and ashamed of you. You just. Tore apart his little girl. Yeah in a bathroom tub. Yeah with a knife and you're you're disgusted and ashamed. Yeah Yeah, that's the story that was great I'm gonna come at you real hard next week. I'm just like three really bad ones This is the least bad of all the ones I have lined up. Okay, great Least bad least bad. That's a it's an English word
01:31:06
twistedtales
mashed together that don't make sense, but I ah I did feel pressure Tennessee talking right. I did. Honestly, personally, I felt very, very. Or I was glad that he strangled. it Oh, hell yeah. I felt relieved. I felt it was just fable. Yep. I felt like somebody did it on purpose in my heart. That's what happened. Yep. But i feel I do think it's hilarious that they had to have exemption cards for people because people were just arrested en masse for looking like this juice. Just looking like him. Yeah. That's crazy. No, that's my story. I'm done. All right. Well, guys, that's the part of the twisted that we call twisted tales. Yeah.
01:31:50
twistedtales
Kinda wish you had a little pear to spare. Nope. Little tautouleh. Make people eat maggots. Oh wait, that's you. Oh wait, yeah, thanks. You're welcome. I'm going to bed now. You're a whore. Yeah, well. Love you, Minit. That's all. Have a great night. Bye. Bye.