The Johnson County Murders

This is the tragic story of William, Elizabeth Ann and Jenny Harold who were brutally murdered in the early morning of January 20, 1974, and of the trial of the accused, David James Roberts, wherein the death sentence was requested. Interwoven are important legal and constitutional issues. This is also the story of the author as a young man, student, lawyer and judge. The author was the judge for the Roberts trial and it was his first murder trial. Follow the actual evidence as it unfolds, assume you were on the jury, and decide the guilt or innocence of David James Roberts. Will you agree with the jury decision? Be ready for some surprises along the way.

Wyoming, 1890s. In the last days of the frontier, grass is growing scarce. As Johnson County's settlers defy the hired guns of Cattle-land, a girl from Massachusetts must face truths about the West. The Indian Wars are over, but peace is a long way off. Through the freezing sleet of a stretched-out winter, fifty hired-guns ride into Johnson County, hell-bent on a killing spree. Based on true events, Johnson County brings to life the old, wild West as it really was. The Powder River ‘war’ of 1892 was the only range conflict in which a U.S. President became personally involved. It sparked-off a decade in which Northern Wyoming was off-limits to formal law, and provided a home to Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and others of the long-riding breed.

A project of the Johnson County Historical and Genealogical Society.

The cold case that put Speedway, Indiana, on the map. “What may be the definitive public accounting of the murder mystery that still resonates today.” —Fox59 The evening of November 17, 1978, should have been like any other for the four young crewmembers closing the Burger Chef at 5725 Crawfordsville Road in Speedway, Indiana. After serving customers and locking the doors for the night, the kids began their regular cleanup to ready the restaurant for the following day. But then something went horribly wrong. Just before midnight, someone muscled into the place, robbed the store of $581 and kidnapped the four employees. Over the next two days, investigators searched in vain for the missing crewmembers before their bodies were discovered more than twenty miles away. The killer or killers were never caught. Join Julie Young on an exploration of one of the most baffling cold cases in Indiana history. “Young doesn’t try to solve the murders. Instead, her goal is to make sure no one forgets the victims.” —IndyStar

Investigating the way Hollywood scoops up notorious criminals and turns them into legends, this entertaining who's-who guide provides thumbnail sketches of such killers as Ma Barker, Black Beard, Al Capone, John Wesley Hardin, and Charles Starkweather. Noting that some figures are glamorized in popular culture (Jesse James), while others are demonized (Charles Manson), this encyclopedic collection explores the legends' emotional truths as depicted in movies, stories, and songs. Facts of the real cases behind these notorious criminals are also presented, including the landmark rulings that pioneered new approaches to criminal justice.

Account of the murders that occurred in Johnson County, Illinois in its first 200 years, including manslaughter and some attempted murders. At times vigilante action (Judge Lynch), whether directly or more often subtlety with juries ignoring the instruction of the judges and making decision on their own took place in Johnson County as well.