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Sugar Hollow Murder Story

As published in the April 1946 issue of Crime Detective magazine.
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The Sugar Hollow Murder

William Rice, 14, was going fishing on Memorial Day 1945. But the body of Chick Randall lay in the way - shot to death. Police Chief Fred Swanson knew Randall and had to break the news to Randall’s widow. Randall had a boat concession on the lake. Florence Randall told the chief that Chick was away buying a boat - but it didn’t make sense he took a busy holiday off from his boat rental service.

A witness who actually heard the deadly shots mentioned that an area man, Jim Guthrie, may have had a boat for sale. The police soon discovered Guthrie was not at work on the day of the murder - but then discovered he had an alibi - he was sick at home in the Philadelphia area.

Then the name of a Loyalville man, Kenneth Farrell, turned up - a frequent visitor to the Randall home and thought to be too close to Mrs. Randall. And Randall was seen leaving his home the morning of Memorial Day followed by a second car.

Farrell was brought in for questioning; a gun was found at a relative’s house. His car was identified as the one at the Randall house the day of the murder. In the end Farrell confessed. He lured Chuck Randall from his home on the pretext boats were for sale at Sugar Hollow.

Farrell killed Randall and later confessed to Randall’s wife. Farrell was found guilty of murder - life imprisonment. Mrs.Randall, charged as an accessory after the fact, testified for the prosecution and hercharges were later dismissed.

In 1946 Crime Detective Magazine published an account of the crime for its April edition.