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

0:00 Warning, Kind of Murdery contains adult themes, explicit language, and descriptions of violence. It is not suitable for anyone, and we recommend you stop listening. Now. True crime with a dash of the paranormal, the garish, the strange in the darkly comic. I'm Zevan Odelberg, host of kind of Murdery, a podcast that's about more than just murder. It's my very own pocket dimension, home to a curated collection of bizarre and compelling stories, the unsolved, the unsettling, and the unbelievable. I cover it all just so long as it's kind of murdery.

0:43 Hello everyone, and welcome on this gloomy football Sunday. Legendary New York Senator Daniel Patrick moynihan famously said everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but they're not entitled to their own facts. Well, these are not opinions. They are facts. Just like it says in the intro, I am Zevan Odelberg, and this is kind of Murdery Today. I bring you the Chicago Prohibition era story of the murder of two vaudeville stars. With any luck that teaser piques your interests, So if you're ready, please do join me as we uncover what truths we can and solve what 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, November fourteenth, nineteen twenty. Chicago is still asleep under the veil of night, but in the shadows, a mysterious figure emerges. Draped in a dark overcoat and topped with a black Derby hat. He makes a bee line for the Insurance Exchange building on Eighteenth Street, moving with a purpose that suggests a plan long in the making. In the quiet building, the solitary figure encounters Tony Yanley, the dedicated elevator operator working the morning shift.

2:06 With a firm and decisive tone, the stranger commands take me up to the fourteenth floor. The request is straightforward, yet it carries an air of urgency. Tony, adhering to his duties, complies, and together they ascend in a heavy silence that fills the elevator. The doors of the elevator stutter open on the fourteenth floor, a signal for the man in the overcoat to stride off. Towards a specific destination. The offices of Conklin, Price and Webb, not in the city for their dealings in insurance.

2:33 What business does this man have here and why at such an ungodly hour. Meanwhile, across town, a telephone operator is jolted by an insistent buzz on her switchboard. It's a call that will soon send ripples across the city. The call is traced back to the very offices the mysterious man had visited. The voice on the other end is urgent. Give me the police, it demands Main thirteen. The police operator, now on the line, is met with a chilling message. A man's 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 lake front, you'll find a couple of dead women. The revelation is startling, the detail's sparse. The caller claims to be a mere passer by a family man who stumbled upon this gruesome scene with his wife and daughter. But before any more information can be gleaned, the line goes dead, leaving behind a trail of questions. Who is this caller? How did he come across such a horrific scene? And most importantly, what happened at the foot of Jackson Street in Grant Park.

3:29 The city of Chicago, now awakening, is unaware of the dark tail unfolding in its streets, a tale of mystery, shadowy figures, and an ominous discovery that promises to unravel into something much more sinister. The morning in Chicago, once shrouded in darkness, now witnesses the unfolding of a brutal mystery. After the phone called to the police from the insurance exchange building, the unknown caller disappears into the depths of the city, leaving no trace behind. This sets the stage for a chilling discovery that will soon grip Metropolis.

4:02 Lieutenant Mike Grady, a seasoned officer, leads a team of police to Grant Park following the directions given by the anonymous collar. The park, typically a place of leisure and tranquility, is transformed into a grim crime scene. The officers are confronted with a harrowing sight two young women lying lifeless beside the cinder road, just a stone's throw from the shore of Lake Michigan. The scene is as baffling as it is gruesome. The bodies are positioned close to each other, mere feet apart, yet their states are starkly different.

4:32 The first victim is a disturbing sight. She lies face down, her hands slashed between the fingers, a telltale sign of a desperate struggle against an assailant. Her face, marred by scratches, tells a silent tale of her efforts to drag herself across the rough cinder road, a feudal attempt to escape her fate. Blood from a heavy nosebleed stains the ground, a silent testament to her final moments. In contrast, her companion presents a mystery all her own. She lies on her back, almost peaceful in her repose, with a heavy fur cape draped over her, shielding her from the chill of the morning air.

5:06 Unlike her companion, she bears no visible marks of violence. It's as if she simply lay down and never rose again. The questions swirl in the minds of Lieutenant Grady and his team. Who were these two young women? What series of events led them to this tragic end In the cold embrace of a Chicago morning, As reported by a journalist from the Chicago Tribune, the scene is riddled with quote a thousand clues but no apparent solution unquote. The police are now tasked with unraveling this mystery, piecing together the clues to uncover the truth behind this chilling double tragedy.

5:41 The case, shrouded in mystery and laden with unanswered questions, finally sees its first significant breakthrough on Monday afternoon, just the day after the discovery in Grant Park. It's one thirty p m. And the streets of Chicago are bustling with the usual week day activity. But in front of the East Chicago Avenue police station, an unusual seen unfolds. Two men, deeply engrossed in an argument catch the attention of a police officer. Sensing the urgency of their dispute, the officer intervenes and escorts them to the station.

6:10 Inside, the tension between the two men is palpable. When questioned about the reason for their visit, one of the men nervously reveals, we want to report the two missing women. The desk sergeant, trained to probe for details in such cases, immediately inquires, what do they look like? The question is simple yet crucial, as the men describe the missing women a spark of realization ignites among the officers. Could these men hold the key to the identities of the victims found in Grant Park. Wasting no time, the police quickly guide the pair to the morgue.

6:39 The air is thick with anticipation as they arrive. It's a moment of truth, a potential churning point of the investigation. In the solemnity of the morgue, the men are confronted with the task of identifying the deceased, and there among the stillness of death, they recognize the victims, Marie Alma Raimi and Lilian Thompson, both actresses, with Ramie notably described as star of a dozen stock shows and a headliner in vaudeville. The revelation brings a new dimension to the case, the victims now with names and faces from a world of stage and performance, transformed from mere statistics to individuals with stories and histories.

7:14 The police, armed with this crucial information, now delve deeper into the investigation, seeking answers to the haunting questions, how did these two actresses, celebrated in their own right, end up in such a tragic fate and who is behind this heinous crime that has left the city of Chicago in a grip of fear and mystery. The case, now more than ever, demands answers. The discovery of the victim's identities leads the police to delve deeper into the lives of the two men who reported the missing.

7:45 James Meeks and Robert McCarthy both are electricians working for the Jane Cowell Theater Company, a detail that immediately establishes a connection to the world of stage and performance where the victims thrived. Jane Cowell, an actress of considerable acclaim in the early twees twentieth century, was in Chicago for her play Shining Through, and Meeks and McCarthy were part of this theatrical community. Their living arrangements add another layer to the mystery. Meeks and McCarthy 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 Theater on Saturday night. When they returned, the apartment was empty. The actress is gone, a detail that only serves to thicken the plot. The police, eager to understand the nature of the relationships between the men and the actresses probe further. James Meeks reveals his history with Lilian Thompson, tracing it back to their earlier days in Boston. Their paths had then crossed again while working on Broadway. I met Lill in New York last April.

8:43 Meeks recounts during the coroner's inquest, painting a picture of a renewed and possibly romantic acquaintance. A critical question follows from the investigators, was she married? The answer to this could shed light on the personal dynamics that might underlie the mystery. Meek's response is telling she represented itself to be a single woman. This statement opens up a multitude of possibilities. Was there more to their relationship than just 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, Robert McCarthy, and the two actresses, Marie Almahrami and Lillian Thompson. The Electricians, having left New York for opportunities in Chicago, find themselves reconnected with Rami and Thompson when the actresses arrived to join the cast of shining through. This reunion at the train station marks the beginning of a new chapter in their lives, one that intertwines their fates in unforeseen ways. Meeks in particular finds himself drawn into a romantic relationship with Lillian Thompson.

9:47 He recalls, we were pretty happy. His statement suggests a period of romantic bliss, albeit short lived. The discovery that shatters this happiness between Meeks and Thompson is as unexpected as it is unsettling for Meeks. A casual rummage through Lilian's belongings. Although one wonders how rummaging through one's girlfriend's belongings could be casual, this sounds more like Meek's endeavoring to paint himself as a not possessive boyfriend. But anyhow, a casual rummage through Lilian's belongings leads to a shocking revelation, an album containing a notice of her marriage.

10:23 This discovery leads to a confrontation filled with the turmoil of betrayal and disappointment. We had a battle then and there. I told her I would not have anything to do with her if I'd known she'd been married. Meeks recalls the sense of betrayal is profound, yet Meeks grapples with the situation, attempting to reconcile his feelings. In a significant turn of events, Meeks decides to support Lilian's pursuit of a divorce, despite his inner turmoil. On Saturday, I gave her all my money and I told her to go away somewhere and get a divorce.

10:54 Told her I'd put up the money, he explains. This pivotal moment, laden with emotional complex city proceeds the last time Meeks and McCarthy see the actresses. A few minutes later, she and Marie went out. We didn't see him again. Tragically. The women's final departure serves as a haunting prelude to the discovery of their lifeless bodies in Grant Park. Tell Us about Saturday probe the police, Meeks and McCarthy recount the events of that critical day. They came to the Theda about two fifteen o'clock in the afternoon, and I gave Lil fifty dollars.

11:25 Mack gave Marie forty five, and they went out to do some shopping. Meeks explains the afternoon seemed routine, with both men providing the women money for shopping, but upon returning from the matinee, they noticed Lil hadn't arrived yet. Meeks expresses his concern she left. Marie and I escolded it because there's so much crime in Chicago. Their evening proceeded seemingly normally. We had din it together. At about seven forty five, Mack and I kissed them goodbye and went to the theda. That was the last we saw of them.

11:53 Meek's recalls, marking the final moment they spent with Raimie and Thompson. Despite rigorous questioning, Meeks and macarthy, the consistently stick to their story. The women had vanished after Saturday evening, leading the men to eventually report them as missing. Almost two days had passed before their concern drove them to the police station. However, the police, while not considering them prime suspects, decided to keep Meeks and McCarthy within reach. After the inquest, they arrest the pair on a statuary charge.

12:22 This action isn't an accusation of direct involvement in the women's death, but rather a precaution to ensure that they don't leave the city. The detectives are threading together the pieces of this intricate puzzle, and Meeks and McCarthy are crucial to understanding the full picture. The detectives, determined to put together the last known movements of Marie al Morami and Lillian Thompson, take to the streets, methodically knocking on doors in the neighborhood. Their investigation soon bears fruit, 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 a crucial time life. He reports seeing them enter the apartment at around seven thirty pm and then leave again before nine pm. This detail narrows down the window of time in which the subsequent tragic events unfolded. The next stop in the actress's evening journey on their final night alive is a nearby delicatessen owned by brothers Silvio and Pietro Cheati. Here the women make a simple purchase chestnuts and some olive oil.

13:23 Silvio Cheaty recalls the interaction vividly, saying, the yellow haired girl said she wanted to come back and get some cheese. But it's the next detail that adds a curious twist to the narrative. Before they left, the yellow haired girl coaxed me for a drink. They said they wouldn't tell anyone. The police, alert to every detail, probe further, did you sell them any wine? They ask, acutely aware that prohibition in effect since January forbade the sale of alcohol. Cheaty's response is cleverly ambiguous.

13:52 No, he says, but I took them to my private office and gave them each two glasses of grape juice. Upon further questioning, Cheaty admits, yes, it was fermented grape juice. Despite this indulgence, Cheety notes that the women did not appear intoxicated. They leave the delicatessen about fifteen minutes later, seemingly just another evening outing. However, Cheety mentions a potentially significant detail there were two or three men in the delicatessen at the same time as the women, But crucially, he asserts that no one followed them as they disappeared into the night.

14:23 The police, diligently following the trail of Marie Almami and Lillian Thompson, find a new clue outside the delicatessen on Dearborn Street. Max Ryder a local resident becomes an unexpected witness to a peculiar scene. That evening, around nine thirty pm, Rider is on his way home when something unusual in the gutter catches his eye, a woman's hat. As he bends down to retrieve it, the red tail lights of an automobile speeding away grab his attention. There weren't many other machines in sight, Rider recalls, noting the oddity of the situation.

14:53 It looked funny to me. Deciding to take the hat with him, he plans to give it to his landlady, unaware of its significance. The following morning, the police conduct their door to door inquiries. Writer connects the dots I wrote of the murder in the Tribune this morning, he tells the officers. But I didn't connect it with this hat. I didn't report it because I didn't want to get into trouble. His discovery, initially seen as trivial, suddenly takes on a grave importance. When shown the hat, Robert McCarthy immediately recognizes it.

15:22 It's Marie's hat, He confirms, she wore it all the time. This simple accessory, once a personal belonging, now becomes a crucial piece of evidence. The mystery deepens with the involvement of the departing car. Was it mere coincidence or did it play a part in the women's disappearance. The circumstances of the hat's loss raises questions if Marie had willingly entered the car, why leave her hat behind? The scenario suggests a more sinister possibility abduction. This new lead propels the investigation forward as detectives 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 theories becomes evident between the medical officials and the police detectives regarding the deaths of Marie al Morami and Lilian Thompson. And if you want to find out what those divergent theories are, as well as the answers to all the outstanding questions in the deaths of Marie al Morami and Lilian Thompson, please do rejoin me on Thursday for part two, the thrilling conclusion of alcohol, adultery and death the Grand Park Actress Murders.

16:34 Until then, thank you for deciding to be here, and I hope you'll rejoin me on Thursday. I'm Zevan Odleberg and this has been kind of murdery. If you like the show, please subscribe, review and tell your friends. You can find us on social media at Kino Murdery or email at Kinomurdery at gmail dot com