Alcohol, Adultery, Sex, and Death: The Grant Park Actress Murders

0:00 Warning, Kind of Murdery contains adult themes, explicit language, and descriptions of

0:04 violence. It is not suitable for anyone, and we recommend you stop listening.

0:09 Now. True crime with a dash of the paranormal, the garish,

0:21 the strange in the darkly comic. I'm Zevan Odelberg, host of kind of

0:26 Murdery, a podcast that's about more than just murder. It's my very own

0:31 pocket dimension, home to a curated collection of bizarre and compelling stories, the

0:36 unsolved, the unsettling, and the unbelievable. I cover it all just so

0:41 long as it's kind of murdery. Hello everyone, and welcome on this gloomy

0:46 football Sunday. Legendary New York Senator Daniel Patrick moynihan famously said everyone is entitled

0:53 to their own opinion, but they're not entitled to their own facts. Well,

0:57 these are not opinions. They are facts. Just like it says in

1:00 the intro, I am Zevan Odelberg, and this is kind of Murdery Today.

1:04 I bring you the Chicago Prohibition era story of the murder of two vaudeville

1:11 stars. With any luck that teaser piques your interests, So if you're ready,

1:15 please do join me as we uncover what truths we can and solve what

1:19 mysteries we may kind of murderies, alcohol, adultery, sex and death.

1:26 The Grant Park Actress Murders starts now. It's the early morning of Sunday,

1:42 November fourteenth, nineteen twenty. Chicago is still asleep under the veil of night,

1:47 but in the shadows, a mysterious figure emerges. Draped in a dark

1:51 overcoat and topped with a black Derby hat. He makes a bee line for

1:55 the Insurance Exchange building on Eighteenth Street, moving with a purpose that suggests a

1:59 plan long in the making. In the quiet building, the solitary figure encounters

2:02 Tony Yanley, the dedicated elevator operator working the morning shift. With a firm

2:07 and decisive tone, the stranger commands take me up to the fourteenth floor.

2:12 The request is straightforward, yet it carries an air of urgency. Tony,

2:15 adhering to his duties, complies, and together they ascend in a heavy silence

2:20 that fills the elevator. The doors of the elevator stutter open on the fourteenth

2:23 floor, a signal for the man in the overcoat to stride off. Towards

2:27 a specific destination. The offices of Conklin, Price and Webb, not in

2:30 the city for their dealings in insurance. What business does this man have here

2:35 and why at such an ungodly hour. Meanwhile, across town, a telephone

2:38 operator is jolted by an insistent buzz on her switchboard. It's a call that

2:43 will soon send ripples across the city. The call is traced back to the

2:46 very offices the mysterious man had visited. The voice on the other end is

2:50 urgent. Give me the police, it demands Main thirteen. The police operator,

2:54 now on the line, is met with a chilling message. A man's

2:58 voice, calm but with an under lying tremor, delivers a harrowing report.

3:01 If you'll go down to the foot of Jackson Street in Grant Park at the

3:05 lake front, you'll find a couple of dead women. The revelation is startling,

3:08 the detail's sparse. The caller claims to be a mere passer by a

3:13 family man who stumbled upon this gruesome scene with his wife and daughter. But

3:16 before any more information can be gleaned, the line goes dead, leaving behind

3:21 a trail of questions. Who is this caller? How did he come across

3:23 such a horrific scene? And most importantly, what happened at the foot of

3:28 Jackson Street in Grant Park. The city of Chicago, now awakening, is

3:31 unaware of the dark tail unfolding in its streets, a tale of mystery,

3:36 shadowy figures, and an ominous discovery that promises to unravel into something much more

3:43 sinister. The morning in Chicago, once shrouded in darkness, now witnesses the

3:47 unfolding of a brutal mystery. After the phone called to the police from the

3:52 insurance exchange building, the unknown caller disappears into the depths of the city,

3:57 leaving no trace behind. This sets the stage for a chilling discovery that will

4:00 soon grip Metropolis. Lieutenant Mike Grady, a seasoned officer, leads a team

4:05 of police to Grant Park following the directions given by the anonymous collar. The

4:11 park, typically a place of leisure and tranquility, is transformed into a grim

4:15 crime scene. The officers are confronted with a harrowing sight two young women lying

4:20 lifeless beside the cinder road, just a stone's throw from the shore of Lake

4:25 Michigan. The scene is as baffling as it is gruesome. The bodies are

4:29 positioned close to each other, mere feet apart, yet their states are starkly

4:31 different. The first victim is a disturbing sight. She lies face down,

4:36 her hands slashed between the fingers, a telltale sign of a desperate struggle against

4:41 an assailant. Her face, marred by scratches, tells a silent tale of

4:45 her efforts to drag herself across the rough cinder road, a feudal attempt to

4:48 escape her fate. Blood from a heavy nosebleed stains the ground, a silent

4:54 testament to her final moments. In contrast, her companion presents a mystery all

4:59 her own. She lies on her back, almost peaceful in her repose,

5:02 with a heavy fur cape draped over her, shielding her from the chill of

5:05 the morning air. Unlike her companion, she bears no visible marks of violence.

5:11 It's as if she simply lay down and never rose again. The questions

5:15 swirl in the minds of Lieutenant Grady and his team. Who were these two

5:17 young women? What series of events led them to this tragic end In the

5:21 cold embrace of a Chicago morning, As reported by a journalist from the Chicago

5:26 Tribune, the scene is riddled with quote a thousand clues but no apparent solution

5:30 unquote. The police are now tasked with unraveling this mystery, piecing together the

5:36 clues to uncover the truth behind this chilling double tragedy. The case, shrouded

5:42 in mystery and laden with unanswered questions, finally sees its first significant breakthrough on

5:46 Monday afternoon, just the day after the discovery in Grant Park. It's one

5:50 thirty p m. And the streets of Chicago are bustling with the usual week

5:55 day activity. But in front of the East Chicago Avenue police station, an

5:59 unusual seen unfolds. Two men, deeply engrossed in an argument catch the attention

6:04 of a police officer. Sensing the urgency of their dispute, the officer intervenes

6:09 and escorts them to the station. Inside, the tension between the two men

6:12 is palpable. When questioned about the reason for their visit, one of the

6:15 men nervously reveals, we want to report the two missing women. The desk

6:19 sergeant, trained to probe for details in such cases, immediately inquires, what

6:24 do they look like? The question is simple yet crucial, as the men

6:28 describe the missing women a spark of realization ignites among the officers. Could these

6:31 men hold the key to the identities of the victims found in Grant Park.

6:35 Wasting no time, the police quickly guide the pair to the morgue. The

6:39 air is thick with anticipation as they arrive. It's a moment of truth,

6:43 a potential churning point of the investigation. In the solemnity of the morgue,

6:46 the men are confronted with the task of identifying the deceased, and there among

6:50 the stillness of death, they recognize the victims, Marie Alma Raimi and Lilian

6:56 Thompson, both actresses, with Ramie notably described as star of a dozen stock

7:00 shows and a headliner in vaudeville. The revelation brings a new dimension to the

7:06 case, the victims now with names and faces from a world of stage and

7:10 performance, transformed from mere statistics to individuals with stories and histories. The police,

7:15 armed with this crucial information, now delve deeper into the investigation, seeking

7:19 answers to the haunting questions, how did these two actresses, celebrated in their

7:26 own right, end up in such a tragic fate and who is behind this

7:30 heinous crime that has left the city of Chicago in a grip of fear and

7:33 mystery. The case, now more than ever, demands answers. The discovery

7:39 of the victim's identities leads the police to delve deeper into the lives of the

7:43 two men who reported the missing. James Meeks and Robert McCarthy both are electricians

7:48 working for the Jane Cowell Theater Company, a detail that immediately establishes a connection

7:53 to the world of stage and performance where the victims thrived. Jane Cowell,

7:57 an actress of considerable acclaim in the early twees twentieth century, was in Chicago

8:01 for her play Shining Through, and Meeks and McCarthy were part of this theatrical

8:05 community. Their living arrangements add another layer to the mystery. Meeks and McCarthy

8:11 shared an apartment, and intriguingly, the two actresses had been staying with them.

8:15 The men last saw the actresses before heading to their work at the Court

8:18 Theater on Saturday night. When they returned, the apartment was empty. The

8:22 actress is gone, a detail that only serves to thicken the plot. The

8:26 police, eager to understand the nature of the relationships between the men and the

8:31 actresses probe further. James Meeks reveals his history with Lilian Thompson, tracing it

8:35 back to their earlier days in Boston. Their paths had then crossed again while

8:41 working on Broadway. I met Lill in New York last April. Meeks recounts

8:45 during the coroner's inquest, painting a picture of a renewed and possibly romantic acquaintance.

8:50 A critical question follows from the investigators, was she married? The answer

8:54 to this could shed light on the personal dynamics that might underlie the mystery.

8:58 Meek's response is telling she represented itself to be a single woman. This statement

9:05 opens up a multitude of possibilities. Was there more to their relationship than just

9:09 professional or platonic acquaintance? Did this factor into the tragic events than unfolded?

9:15 The plot thickens as more details emerge about the relationship dynamics between James Meeks,

9:20 Robert McCarthy, and the two actresses, Marie Almahrami and Lillian Thompson. The

9:24 Electricians, having left New York for opportunities in Chicago, find themselves reconnected with

9:30 Rami and Thompson when the actresses arrived to join the cast of shining through.

9:35 This reunion at the train station marks the beginning of a new chapter in their

9:39 lives, one that intertwines their fates in unforeseen ways. Meeks in particular finds

9:43 himself drawn into a romantic relationship with Lillian Thompson. He recalls, we were

9:48 pretty happy. His statement suggests a period of romantic bliss, albeit short lived.

9:54 The discovery that shatters this happiness between Meeks and Thompson is as unexpected as

10:01 it is unsettling for Meeks. A casual rummage through Lilian's belongings. Although one

10:05 wonders how rummaging through one's girlfriend's belongings could be casual, this sounds more like

10:11 Meek's endeavoring to paint himself as a not possessive boyfriend. But anyhow, a

10:16 casual rummage through Lilian's belongings leads to a shocking revelation, an album containing a

10:22 notice of her marriage. This discovery leads to a confrontation filled with the turmoil

10:28 of betrayal and disappointment. We had a battle then and there. I told

10:31 her I would not have anything to do with her if I'd known she'd been

10:33 married. Meeks recalls the sense of betrayal is profound, yet Meeks grapples with

10:39 the situation, attempting to reconcile his feelings. In a significant turn of events,

10:43 Meeks decides to support Lilian's pursuit of a divorce, despite his inner turmoil.

10:48 On Saturday, I gave her all my money and I told her to

10:52 go away somewhere and get a divorce. Told her I'd put up the money,

10:56 he explains. This pivotal moment, laden with emotional complex city proceeds the

11:00 last time Meeks and McCarthy see the actresses. A few minutes later, she

11:05 and Marie went out. We didn't see him again. Tragically. The women's

11:09 final departure serves as a haunting prelude to the discovery of their lifeless bodies in

11:13 Grant Park. Tell Us about Saturday probe the police, Meeks and McCarthy recount

11:18 the events of that critical day. They came to the Theda about two fifteen

11:22 o'clock in the afternoon, and I gave Lil fifty dollars. Mack gave Marie

11:26 forty five, and they went out to do some shopping. Meeks explains the

11:30 afternoon seemed routine, with both men providing the women money for shopping, but

11:33 upon returning from the matinee, they noticed Lil hadn't arrived yet. Meeks expresses

11:39 his concern she left. Marie and I escolded it because there's so much crime

11:43 in Chicago. Their evening proceeded seemingly normally. We had din it together.

11:46 At about seven forty five, Mack and I kissed them goodbye and went to

11:50 the theda. That was the last we saw of them. Meek's recalls,

11:54 marking the final moment they spent with Raimie and Thompson. Despite rigorous questioning,

11:58 Meeks and macarthy, the consistently stick to their story. The women had vanished

12:03 after Saturday evening, leading the men to eventually report them as missing. Almost

12:09 two days had passed before their concern drove them to the police station. However,

12:13 the police, while not considering them prime suspects, decided to keep Meeks

12:16 and McCarthy within reach. After the inquest, they arrest the pair on a

12:22 statuary charge. This action isn't an accusation of direct involvement in the women's death,

12:26 but rather a precaution to ensure that they don't leave the city. The

12:31 detectives are threading together the pieces of this intricate puzzle, and Meeks and McCarthy

12:35 are crucial to understanding the full picture. The detectives, determined to put together

12:39 the last known movements of Marie al Morami and Lillian Thompson, take to the

12:43 streets, methodically knocking on doors in the neighborhood. Their investigation soon bears fruit,

12:50 shedding light on the activities of the women on that fateful Saturday evening.

12:54 A levine, a manager of the apartment where the women were staying, provides

12:58 a crucial time life. He reports seeing them enter the apartment at around seven

13:01 thirty pm and then leave again before nine pm. This detail narrows down the

13:07 window of time in which the subsequent tragic events unfolded. The next stop in

13:11 the actress's evening journey on their final night alive is a nearby delicatessen owned by

13:16 brothers Silvio and Pietro Cheati. Here the women make a simple purchase chestnuts and

13:22 some olive oil. Silvio Cheaty recalls the interaction vividly, saying, the yellow

13:26 haired girl said she wanted to come back and get some cheese. But it's

13:31 the next detail that adds a curious twist to the narrative. Before they left,

13:35 the yellow haired girl coaxed me for a drink. They said they wouldn't

13:39 tell anyone. The police, alert to every detail, probe further, did

13:43 you sell them any wine? They ask, acutely aware that prohibition in effect

13:46 since January forbade the sale of alcohol. Cheaty's response is cleverly ambiguous. No,

13:52 he says, but I took them to my private office and gave them

13:54 each two glasses of grape juice. Upon further questioning, Cheaty admits, yes,

14:00 it was fermented grape juice. Despite this indulgence, Cheety notes that the

14:03 women did not appear intoxicated. They leave the delicatessen about fifteen minutes later,

14:09 seemingly just another evening outing. However, Cheety mentions a potentially significant detail there

14:15 were two or three men in the delicatessen at the same time as the women,

14:18 But crucially, he asserts that no one followed them as they disappeared into

14:22 the night. The police, diligently following the trail of Marie Almami and Lillian

14:26 Thompson, find a new clue outside the delicatessen on Dearborn Street. Max Ryder

14:31 a local resident becomes an unexpected witness to a peculiar scene. That evening,

14:35 around nine thirty pm, Rider is on his way home when something unusual in

14:39 the gutter catches his eye, a woman's hat. As he bends down to

14:43 retrieve it, the red tail lights of an automobile speeding away grab his attention.

14:48 There weren't many other machines in sight, Rider recalls, noting the oddity

14:52 of the situation. It looked funny to me. Deciding to take the hat

14:56 with him, he plans to give it to his landlady, unaware of its

14:58 significance. The following morning, the police conduct their door to door inquiries.

15:03 Writer connects the dots I wrote of the murder in the Tribune this morning,

15:07 he tells the officers. But I didn't connect it with this hat. I

15:11 didn't report it because I didn't want to get into trouble. His discovery,

15:15 initially seen as trivial, suddenly takes on a grave importance. When shown the

15:20 hat, Robert McCarthy immediately recognizes it. It's Marie's hat, He confirms,

15:24 she wore it all the time. This simple accessory, once a personal belonging,

15:28 now becomes a crucial piece of evidence. The mystery deepens with the involvement

15:33 of the departing car. Was it mere coincidence or did it play a part

15:37 in the women's disappearance. The circumstances of the hat's loss raises questions if Marie

15:43 had willingly entered the car, why leave her hat behind? The scenario suggests

15:46 a more sinister possibility abduction. This new lead propels the investigation forward as detectives

15:52 ponder whether the women's encounter with the car was by choice or by force.

15:58 As the second day of the investigation draws to a close, a divergence in

16:03 theories becomes evident between the medical officials and the police detectives regarding the deaths of

16:08 Marie al Morami and Lilian Thompson. And if you want to find out what

16:12 those divergent theories are, as well as the answers to all the outstanding questions

16:18 in the deaths of Marie al Morami and Lilian Thompson, please do rejoin me

16:25 on Thursday for part two, the thrilling conclusion of alcohol, adultery and death

16:32 the Grand Park Actress Murders. Until then, thank you for deciding to be

16:37 here, and I hope you'll rejoin me on Thursday. I'm Zevan Odleberg and

16:44 this has been kind of murdery. If you like the show, please subscribe,

16:51 review and tell your friends. You can find us on social media at

16:53 Kino Murdery or email at Kinomurdery at gmail dot com