Kehoe began by killing his wife and detonating fire bombs in his farm buildings. While firefighters worked to put out the fires on Kehoe’s property, Kehoe went to the Bath Consolidated School, where he detonated bombs he had previously planted in the school.

Kehoe left the scene after the explosion, but returned a short while later. He saw the school superintendent standing outside the school watching rescue and recovery efforts and called to him. As the superintendent approached the car, Kehoe detonated a bomb inside the car. The blast killed Kehoe, the superintendent, two local men, and an 8 year old boy who had managed to escape the school bombing.

The Bath School Disaster resulted in 45 dead and 58 injured. In 1975, a park dedicated to the victims was built on the former site of the school.

Further reading:

truTV – Hell Comes to Bath

The Bath School Disaster

Wikipedia – Bath School Disaster 

Further reading:

Crime Library – HEARST, SOLIAH AND THE S.L.A.

CNN.com – Patty Hearst Profile

“I never went in for embroidery, just results.”

-Major Reisman (Lee Marvin), The Dirty Dozen (1967)

Another Wednesday, another Wicked Weasel.

I read yesterday that CBS has cancelled Vegas. Sadly, I saw that coming. First off, the show wouldn’t appeal to the all-important youth demographic. Secondly, a period drama like Vegas is more expensive to produce than the average show. On top of all that, the time-slot move from Tuesday to Friday was a death sentence. Oh well, I guess the cancellation gives CBS more time for airing reality TV. Bowling with the Stars, anyone?

At the end of her scheduled shift, Payant had turned up missing. An exhaustive search was conducted of the prison and the surrounding grounds, but there was no sign of her. Officials expanded their search to a local landfill where trash from the prison had been dumped earlier in the day. They found her mutilated body buried in the trash.

Police and prison officials began an investigation into the murder of Officer Payant. Bite marks had been left, and the medical examiner thought that the pattern looked familiar. As it turns out, he had seen the same pattern on a previous case he had worked: one of the victims of rapist and serial killer Lemuel Smith. Smith was an inmate at Green Haven CF when Officer Payant was murdered.

Once the case was built, Smith was tried for murdering Officer Payant. He was represented by C. Vernon Mason (of Tawana Brawley fame/infamy) and William “Black Rage” Kuntsler. In spite of such big-name legal representation , Smith was convicted of 1st degree murder and given the mandatory death sentence. In 1984, his death sentence was overturned as unconstitutional.

Lemuel Smith is currently incarcerated at Five Points Correctional Facility in central New York. He is eligible for parole in 2029, when he is 87 years old.

Further reading:

Crime Library – Murder Within the Walls

The Officer Down Memorial Page – Corrections Officer Donna A. Payant

Find-a-Grave – Donna Payant

On this date in 1977, mob boss Michael “Mickey” Spillane (no relation to the guy who created fictional P.I. Mike Hammer) had a run of very bad luck on Friday the 13th; he was shot and killed outside his apartment in Queens, NY. Spillane, who headed the Westies gang, had moved to Queens from Hell’s Kitchen out of fear for his safety. The previous year, his three top lieutenants had been taken out on orders from Genovese crime family boss Fat Tony Salerno. Salerno coveted control of construction contracts for the Jacob Javits Civic Center, which was being built in Spillane’s territory. Spillane’s killing was rumored to have been carried out by Gambino crime family associates Roy DeMeo and Danny Grillo. After Spillane’s demise, mobster Jimmy Coonan took over as head of the Westies. Coonan had previously challenged Spillane for control of the group. After he took control, Coonan formed an alliance with the Gambino family, in a deal brokered by the newly-”made” Roy DeMeo. Coincidence? Um… probably not.

Further reading:

The Westies, by T.J. English

The Serial Killer Calender – Roy DeMeo

Wikipedia – Mickey Spillane (gangster)

On this date in 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was appointed head of the Bureau of Investigation, predecessor to the FBI. Hoover would serve as the agency’s director until his death in 1972.

Further reading:

Wikipedia – J. Edgar Hoover

truTV – The Life and Career of J. Edgar Hoover

“Now, I’ve been in the joint before. But this…was kinda different. Is this a prison, or the world’s shittiest mall?”

-Driver (Mel Gibson), Get the Gringo (2012)