The Reporter Who Knew Too Much

by Mark Shaw

  Mrs. Broich described the atmosphere in the medical examiner’s office during the days preceding Kilgallen’s death as “mean-spirited.” She added, “Some people felt threatened by others and wanted reports to be fudged regarding cause of death.”

  John and Eileen Broich

  “From time to time,” Mrs. Broich said, “people with influence and money caused fear to exist in the office.” However, she swore her husband and Dr. Umberger, a close friend of the family “were men of integrity, honest men who went by the book.” Regarding Kilgallen’s death, Mrs. Broich said her husband told her Dorothy was “bumped off,” the Mafia term for killing a target.

  As to why she felt her husband did not divulge his belief that Kilgallen was murdered, Mrs. Broich blamed “paranoia” in the medical examiner’s office. Was this true or were there other reasons for John Broich and Dr. Umberger, like Dr. Luke before them, failing to disclose evidence that could have clarified how Kilgallen died? Answering this question requires considering the degree of danger to Kilgallen by ingesting a combination of Seconal, Nembutal and Tuinal with alcohol while keeping in mind the three possible causes for her death: suicide, accidental death, or murder.

  In essence, Kilgallen’s death must be investigated in the same way she would have done so based on her career as the premiere crime reporter of her era. The starting point must be to understand the deceased’s state of mind as of November 1965. This provides a roadmap to learning how the iconic journalist and television star died, and more importantly, why.

  35 Author Disclosure: Lee Israel, who died on December 24, 2014, wrote, and Delacorte Press, a Random House imprint, published Kilgallen: A Biography of Dorothy Kilgallen in 1979. Unfortunately, in the mid-2000s, Israel’s reputation was soiled when she was charged with forging letters from famous people and selling them to unsuspecting buyers. Israel, who was experiencing difficult times in her private life, pled guilty and was sentenced to house arrest and five years probation. In 2008, her book Can You Ever Forgive Me? detailing the sordid chain of events was published. Despite Israel’s deceptive practices nearly three decades after writing Kilgallen, there is no indication she fabricated any of the Kilgallen text. Some material is incomplete but reference notes at the end of the book appear credible. Unfortunately, this author was unable to speak with Ms. Israel before she died in 2014.

  36 Besides giving Sara and Larry Jordan information about Kilgallen’s death, during 2014, 2015 and 2016, Kathryn Fauble provided this author with copies of several audiotape and videotape interviews conducted over a period of years with eyewitnesses, including Kilgallen’s hairdressers Marc Sinclaire and Charles Simpson, and John Broich, regarding the circumstances surrounding Dorothy Kilgallen’s death. Ms. Fauble also forwarded additional information about Kilgallen’s life and her death through articles, photos, letters and other material. The quality of the interviews is exceptional. The interviewer is straightforward and the subjects are permitted sufficient time to tell their stories. Excerpts from some of the interviews are posted at www.TheReporterWhoKnewTooMuch.com so the credibility of those interviewed may be considered.

  37 In April 1967, Dr. Umberger was a witness in the celebrated second trial of Dr. Carl Coppolino. Defended by F. Lee Bailey, Coppolino was found guilty of murdering his wife Carmela. Forensic evidence played a large part in the conviction and Dr. Umberger and a colleague were given credit for developing a technique to detect deadly levels of succinylcholine byproducts in Carmela Coppolino’s tissues.

  38 The root of discontent between Dr. Umberger, Ph.D and Dr. James Luke, M.D., is noteworthy. According to an anonymous source, this author learned that the two men were party to a “hateful feud” that continued after Dr. Luke left the ME’s office. According to the source, when Dr. Luke’s competence became an issue in Oklahoma during a court hearing, Dr. Umberger testified, “the man isn’t qualified to wash test tubes at any laboratory.”

  39 Attempts by this author to interview Dr. Baden were not successful despite several tries to do so including emails sent to him that were not answered.

  CHAPTER 21

  Conflicting reports cause inconsistencies regarding Dorothy Kilgallen’s mental state at age 52.

  Certainly, her marriage to Richard was a marriage in name only. They led separate lives while acting like a happy couple when they appeared in public. There was some indication Kilgallen’s reliance on alcohol had increased. Reports surfaced that someone had seen Johnnie Ray and her falling-down drunk in public. One friend swore he saw them passed out on a New York Street corner. Some acquaintances insisted Kilgallen had a drug problem. They suggested her dependence on sleeping pills had increased over time.

  Eyewitness Joe Tonahill, co-counsel with Melvin Belli during the Jack Ruby trial, disagreed. In a videotape interview, Tonahill was asked whether he believed Kilgallen was “a troubled woman on the downhill of her life” with drug or alcohol issues. He answered, “She wasn’t struggling with any substance abuse problems or anything. I went to dinner with her at the 21 Club [in New York City] in July 1965. She didn’t drink much, maybe one vodka tonic. That was about it.” He added, “She didn’t show any indication of being an alcoholic to me. Or any drug use. She had a good mind and her mind was working. Very realistically and very effectively.” (Tonahill interview excerpts available at TheReporterWhoKnewTooMuch.com)

  Tonahill, who said Kilgallen asked him to contribute content for her book on the assassinations, also disclosed that just a week before her death, she spoke to him about appearing on a radio talk show together to discuss the assassinations and Ruby. He intimated that she was as sharp as ever.

  Confirmation of Tonahill’s opinion, it may be recalled, is possible through observations by both husband Richard and Johnnie Ray after Kilgallen returned from a trip to Europe during the spring/summer 1965. Ray, in fact, stated, “She was plumper. Her color was higher.”

  On the financial front, speculation in New York City circles suggested Kilgallen’s position as the noted columnist for the Journal-American may have been in jeopardy. The reason: the newspaper had fallen on hard times and might fold.40 Kilgallen’s hairdresser Marc Sinclaire addressed this point in an audiotaped interview: “That wouldn’t have changed her life much. She was still being syndicated across the country and was working on television and had book offers.”

  Speculation aside, on the positive side, Kilgallen still enjoyed her lofty status as one of the most eminent personalities in America. Her Journal-American columns were as popular as ever. Weekly appearances on What’s My Line? thrilled millions of fans. They counted on her to ask the tough questions other panelists avoided.

  Most importantly, Kilgallen continued to write drafts of the Murder One manuscript. There is some confusion as to whether she would have included the Ruby trial in a second book or in Murder One. Joe Tonahill said later he believed Kilgallen intended the Ruby trial to be part of Murder One. In a videotaped interview Marc Sinclaire stated, “I saw her open notes on the assassination and look at them. Murder One wasn’t the book she had in mind [for them].”

  As noted, Kilgallen’s file on the Dallas killings was missing at the time of her death and never recovered. This means there is no certain way to pinpoint what actual evidence Kilgallen uncovered although revisiting the columns and articles she wrote following the assassinations provides clarity. Of special interest are the columns previously noted, “The Oswald File Must Not Close,” “Still Live Topic,” “DA to Link Ruby to Oswald,” “Nervous Ruby Feels Breaking Point Near,” “Why Did Oswald Risk All By Shooting Cop?” and “Maybe You Didn’t Know.” Close reading of these columns and Kilgallen articles provides a window into her mindset, hints of what exclusive information she had learned about the JFK and Oswald assassinations that could be exposed at the proper time.

  Kilgallen apparently did not keep a diary or personal journal. It might have been a gateway into her mi
ndset within days of her death. Fortunately, one clear indication of Kilgallen’s outlook toward life is possible. It comes through the status of Murder One although that book, like Kilgallen’s death, is shrouded in mystery. Why? Because when the book was finally published by Random House (she had been given a $10,000 advance) two years after Kilgallen died, questions arose as to whether most of the text may actually have been written by her for the book. In April 1978, Mrs. Phyllis Wagner, formerly Mrs. Bennett Cerf, informed author Lee Israel (in a letter this author has read) that Kilgallen had not completed much, if any, of the manuscript.

  Mrs. Wagner wrote, “The book was very important to Dorothy—the thought of being between hard covers delighted her...” Mrs. Wagner added, “[But] she missed deadline after deadline—each time promising to bring something in shortly. Finally, she produced a CHAPTER or so…I believe it was the day she died, that Bennett told her that he read it and that he liked it.”41

  Regarding the book being published, Mrs. Wagner wrote, “After her death, at the suggestion of Richard Kollmar …her research [was] turned over to editor Allan Ullman to finish—I have no idea how much material he received or how little of it he used…or how much. [The book] was written. It was okayed by Richard Kollmar and it was published.”

  Recall hairdresser Marc Sinclaire confirmed that Kilgallen was working on the book. Also, producer Joseph E. Levine [award-winning film producer of The Lion in Winter and The Graduate] said Kilgallen had shown him Murder One text since they had a meeting on November 3, 1965 to discuss film/television adaptation.

  Most importantly, following the “Dorothy Kilgallen to the Reader” section at the beginning of the published book, it was mentioned that this section “…accompanied the draft manuscript from which the present book was edited.” This was an indication Kilgallen had written a substantial portion of the book text.

  The superb writing style and word selection not only indicates Kilgallen was the author, but how competent she was as an investigative reporter who knew legal strategies as well as a seasoned trial lawyer. It further confirms that she certainly had developed skills permitting her to be at the top of her game in November 1965. No less authority than the celebrated attorney F. Lee Bailey, attorney for Dr. Sam Sheppard and later for Patty Hearst and O. J. Simpson, said of Kilgallen, “She was a very bright and very good reporter of criminal cases. The best there was.”

  Questioned about his daughter’s prowess as a reporter, Jim Kilgallen told a journalist, “She had an unerring instinct for news…a brilliant style of writing. She was accurate and had a flair for the apt phrase. She had an uncanny ability to produce scoops and an inordinate speed in turning out copy.” Appropriate in terms of her dogged style as an investigative reporter, Bennett Cerf, as mentioned, praised Kilgallen when he issued a statement about her death: “A lot of people knew Dorothy as a very tough game player; others knew her as a tough newspaper woman. When she went after a story, nothing could get in her way.”42

  Murder One, published under Kilgallen’s name, received excellent reviews with at least four printings available for the bestseller. King Features Syndicate called it, “The best true crime book of the year…but only for adult readers.” Kirkus Reviews reported, “...to equal parts of murder and mayhem [in Murder One] add a double portion of sex, flavor with leaden innuendo, and cover the intellectual gap with big pieces of the trial record.”

  Random House certainly believed Murder One was top notch based on the front cover copy. In bold red letters, the title appeared and below it, “By Dorothy Kilgallen” in black print.

  At the time of her Death, Dorothy Kilgallen was writing Murder One chronicling famous trials she had covered during her career.

  Beneath this lettering was posted in a black circle with white lettering the words, “Six On-The-Spot Murder Stories by American’s Most Famous Crime Reporter.” To the immediate right of the circle were the titillating titles Kilgallen had chosen for CHAPTER headings. Each was printed in bold black letters:

  A Slight Case of Frigidity:

  The Finch-Tregoff Trials

  Motive Unmentionable:

  The Case of Greta Peltz

  Hootch, Whores and Homicide:

  The Eva Coo Case

  Sex and the All-American Boy:

  The State vs. Robert Allen Edwards

  Poison and Pedophilia:

  The Creighton-Applegate Case

  When Justice Took the Day Off:

  The Trials of Dr. Sam Sheppard including Dorothy Kilgallen’s

  Startling Affidavit

  The back cover indicated the celebrity status Random House believed Kilgallen still enjoyed two years after she died. It featured only a black and white photograph of Kilgallen sitting on a desk, telephone pressed to her ear. On the inside cover flap copy, the following appeared:

  The image of Dorothy Kilgallen as a brilliant, remarkably well-informed member of TV’s What’s My Line? panel and caustic columnist whose “Voice of Broadway” was devoured daily by millions tends to obscure her record of more than thirty years as one of the nation’s top crime reporters. Her byline in the Hearst newspapers was a guarantee of sharp, accurate and highly readable journalism. From 1934 to 1965 she covered many of the sensational murder trials that once shocked and fascinated the American public.

  No bleeding-heart sob sister, she went after a story with a vigor and tenacity that frequently bettered the best of her colleagues. And she never hesitated to voice an opinion—or a doubt. Indeed, at the close of the Dr. Sam Sheppard’s first trial, Hearst papers ran banner headlines, DOROTHY KILGALLEN SHOCKED, above her account of that peculiar verdict.

  Commenting on her career, Bill Slocum, another journalistic great, had written, “No reporter in the history of journalism ever approached her ability to sell papers when the readers knew she was covering a news story. When she was reporting on a trial, newspapers throughout the country fought to buy her coverage.”

  These plaudits, ones that clearly spell out how Kilgallen was a giant of her profession, intrigued readers as to her coverage of six intriguing murder cases. Reading excerpts from what Kilgallen wrote about each case provides great insight into her razor-sharp mind. This is especially true when it comes to dissecting the important morsels of evidence significant to the outcome of the cases.

  Indicative of this skill was Kilgallen’s shrewd sense of insight into criminal cases and the criminal mind as evidenced in the high-profile Dr. Sam Sheppard murder trial, a shining moment in the famous journalist’s career. The title of the Murder One CHAPTER, quite similar to the Journal-American column she wrote, was, “When Justice Took the Day Off.”

  When the trial had ended, the headline read, “Dorothy Kilgallen on Sheppard Trial: ASTOUNDED BY VERDICT SEES REVERSAL POSSIBLE.” Kilgallen then wrote, “There were a number of reasons for my startled reaction to the jury’s verdict. Basically, the state had failed to present…anything resembling a conclusive case that established ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ the doctor’s guilt. The evidence submitted was flimsy beyond belief, much of it was remote from the commission of the crime, much of it sheer speculation. The motive attributed to Dr. Sam was clearly poppycock.”

  Exhibiting her ability to take readers into the case with her, Kilgallen vividly detailed the trial. It almost seemed like Dr. Sheppard was a longtime acquaintance: “As he walked with the deputy sheriff across the leaf-covered lawn, their wrists were so close the handcuffs barely showed, he was hatless and ramrod straight in a light brown and tan small-checked topcoat. Burberry style, which he wore unbuttoned. Except for the stern set of his jaw and his pallor, he looked almost collegiate; he might have been, standing in the icy wind, not seeming to notice it, the local high school’s football coach.” Regarding how Sheppard’s dead wife Marilyn appeared in court photos, Kilgallen wrote, “She was beautiful. So lovely and so bruised. So gentle looking, with her eyes closed, sleeping under
the vermillion gashes…No picture ever printed of Marilyn Sheppard…has shown her to be as lovely as she was in death—discolored and slashed and broken.”

  Sheppard’s defense, Kilgallen noted, revolved around his telling police “that someone had been in the house; that he had heard Marilyn scream and ran upstairs. When he got there he was struck and knocked out.” Kilgallen felt it important that the prosecution admitted, “[Sheppard] had an injury to the face around the eye and he complained that his neck hurt” after the incident.

  Throughout the trial, Kilgallen, through her gall and persistence, spoke to witnesses who would speak to no one else. Due to her reputation, she had the capacity to get others to trust her. These included Dr. Sheppard’s brother Richard and even Dr. Sheppard himself. When Richard told her, “I know what Sam’s like; I know he’s incapable of violence,” Kilgallen believed him.

  Kilgallen berated Dr. Sheppard’s defense counsels for basic ineptness. They were not asking the questions she would ask; not making the points she would make. To indicate how shaky the case against Dr. Sheppard was, Kilgallen honed in on several aspects of supportive testimony for the accused. There were nine in all. However, it was defense counsel William Corrigan, Jr. who was the recipient of Kilgallen’s sharp tongue. She catalogued one critical mistake he made, writing, “Corrigan’s motive for this sensational line of questioning (he delved into whether the Sheppards’ first child was illegitimate) which in effect handed the state its motive for a crime of fury on a silver platter and tied with a ribbon bow—was not clear.”

  When Dr. Sheppard testified, Dorothy Kilgallen listened intently. She was impressed when he declared, “…I’m certainly going to do all I could to get to the bottom of this. I won’t rest until I find out who killed my wife.”