The Killers Trilogy

by Martin McGregor

  Proctor fought back furiously. He accused the self confessed witches of lying, and claimed that he had been tortured. He demanded that his trail be moved to Boston. Proctors request was denied, and he was hanged. His wife was also convicted of witchcraft, but was spared the noose due to her being pregnant.

  The locals showed unease at the execution of the villages ex minister George Burroughs. He had been identified by several of the accusers as being a ringleader of the witches. Ann Putnam had claimed that Burroughs has been responsible for bewitching soldiers during a failed military campaign in 1688-89. It was the first of many military failures that were blamed on an alliance between Indians and the Devil.

  Burroughs was accused by thirty of the accusers. A nineteen year old named Mercy Lewis offered a damning testimony against him. She claimed that Burroughs had flown her to the top of a mountain. He had pointed towards the surrounding land and had promised her all the surrounding kingdoms, if she would sign his book. Lewis said she would not sign, even if he had thrown her down on a hundred pitchforks.

  At the point of his execution, Burroughs was expected to confess, by doing so, he would in fact save his soul. Burroughs refused, instead he maintained his innocence. He then proceeded to perfectly recite the Lord’s prayer. This stunned the watching crow, as witches were not supposed to be capable of doing so. The crowd was moved by the recital, and became agitated. Cotton Mather addressed the crown and reminded them that Burroughs had indeed already faced his trial and had been found guilty at that very same trial.

  One of the victims was to face a far less humane execution. Giles Corey (who was in his eighties), spent five months in chains in gaol along with his accused wife. He showed a great deal of disregard for the proceedings, and refused to stand for trial. He was sure that if he faced trial it would be futile. He was sure he would be convicted and his farm would be given to the state, instead he wanted the farm to be given to his two young sons in law.

  For refusing to face trial, he was sentenced was peine et fort, which translates to ‘pressing’. The sentence meant that the victim has heavy stones placed onto his or her chest. The stones were heavier and heavier and continued to be placed until the victim suffocated. The method has been around since roman times, when elephants were used to crush the victims. Three days after Corey’s death, Giles wife Martha, and seven other convicted witches were hung. These were the last victims of the witch hunt.

  By the Autumn of that year doubts had started to arise amongst the people of the village. The question was raised, that how could so many respectable people have been found to be guilty of witch craft. Why would so many decent citizens, in so sparsely populate an area, suddenly turn to the Devil? The more educated amongst the town folk, made efforts to ensure that the witch hunt was ended.

  Increase Mather published a work, stating that it would have been better that ten suspected witches to have escaped justice, rather than one innocent person be condemned. He urged the court, that they should exclude any spectral evidence. A Boston Minister also issued a publication, claiming that there was a possibility that the Devil might create the spectre of an innocent person. Both of these were given to Governor Phips.

  Phips relented after studying the writings, he then ordered the court that they must exclude spectral evidence, he also ordered they were no longer to use the touching tests, and that guilt could only be proved by clear and convincing evidence. Twenty eight of the last thirty three trials ended in the accused being acquitted, as there was simply not enough clear evidence to convict them anymore.

  Three of the convicted witches were later to receive a pardon, and in May of 1693 all of the accused or convicted witches were released from prison.

  The Salem witch hunt, ended with the death of nineteen people accused of witch craft

  June 10

  Bridget Bishop

  July 19

  Rebecca Nurse

  Sarah Good

  Susannah Martin

  Elizabeth Howe

  Sarah Wildes

  August 19

  George Burroughs

  Martha Carrier

  John Willard

  George Jacobs, Sr.

  John Proctor

  September 22

  Martha Corey

  Mary Eastey

  Ann Pudeator

  Alice Parker

  Mary Parker

  Wilmott Redd

  One other was pressed to death after refusing to attend his own trial.

  Giles Corey

  At least four other witches died in prison, although it was suspected that there were many more, the four confirmed deaths were

  Sarah Osborn

  Roger Toothaker

  Lyndia Dustin

  Ann Foster

  During the course of the trial between one and two hundred people were arrested, and were imprisoned on charges of witchcraft. Two dogs were also wrongly executed for being suspected accomplices of witches.

  It has been noted that most of the accusers were financially better off than those accused, they also stood to gain financially mostly in the form of property that was gained from the convictions of the accused witches.

  George Burroughs was eventually forced to leave Salem. After the release of the last of the accused witches, one of the judges by the name of Samuel Sewall offered a public confession of guilt, and an apology. Revd Parris also accepted that there had been serious errors in judgement.

  Parris was soon replaced as the minster of Salem Village by the Revd Thomas Green, the new minister then spent his entire career mending the wounds that had been afflicted on the village by the whole affair. Governor Phips passed the blame on to William Stoughton.

  Although Stoughton had committed grave mis-judgements, he steadfastly refused to apologize or even offer any explanations for his decisions or his part in the convictions. He even accused Phips of interfering, just as he was about to clear the land of witches. Stoughton went on to become the next Governor of Massachusetts.

  There are plenty of theories as to what happened in Salem, illness, disease, or even childish boredom, who knows, maybe there were even more sinister hands at work. Maybe it was that the Devil did visit Salem, and when he left, he had taken many innocent lives with him.

  Two of the accused petitioned for mercy and copies of the petitions still remain. I have enclosed them here as they make for interesting reading. It also shows how fearful and God fearing the people of the village were.

  Petition of Mary Easty

  The humbl petition of mary Eastick unto his Excellency's S'r W'm Phipps to the honour'd Judge and Bench now Sitting in Judicature in Salem and the Reverend ministers humbly sheweth

  That whereas your poor and humble petitioner being condemned to die Doe humbly begg of you to take it into your Judicious and pious considerations that your Poor and humble petitioner knowing my own Innocencye Blised be the Lord for it and seeing plainly the wiles and subtility of my accusers by my Selfe can not but Judge charitably of others that are going the same way of my selfe if the Lord stepps not mightily in i was confined a whole month upon the same account that I am condemned now for and then cleared by the afflicted persons as some of your honours know and in two dayes time I was cryed out upon by them and have been confined and now am condemned to die the Lord above knows my Innocence then and Likewise does now as att the great day will be know to men and Angells -- I Petition to your honours not for my own life for I know I must die and my appointed time is sett but the Lord he knowes it is that if it be possible no more Innocent blood may be shed which undoubtidly cannot be Avoyded In the way and course you goe in I question not but your honours does to the uttmost of your Powers in the discovery and detecting of witchcraft and witches and would not be gulty of Innocent blood for the world but by my own Innocency I know you are in this great work if it be his blessed you that no more Innocent blood be shed I would humbly begg of you that your honors would be plesed to examine theis Afflicted Persons strictly and keep them ap
art some time and Likewise to try some of these confesing wichis I being confident there is severall of them has belyed themselves and others as will appeare if not in this wor[l]d I am sure in the world to come whither I am now agoing and I Question not but youle see and alteration of thes things they my selfe and others having made a League with the Divel we cannot confesse I know and the Lord knowes as will shortly appeare they belye me and so I Question not but they doe others the Lord above who is the Searcher of all hearts knows that as I shall answer att the Tribunall seat that I know not the least thinge of witchcraft therfore I cannot I dare not belye my own soule I beg your honers not to deny this my humble petition from a poor dying Innocent person and I Question not but the Lord will give a blesing to yor endevers

  (Reverse) To his Excellency S'r W'm Phipps: Govern'r and to the honoured Judge and Magistrates now setting in Judicature in Salem.

  Petition of John Proctor

  SALEM-PRISON, July 23, 1692.

  Mr. Mather, Mr. Allen, Mr. Moody, Mr. Willard, and Mr. Bailey

  Reverend Gentlemen.

  The innocency of our Case with the Enmity of our Accusers and our Judges, and Jury, whom nothing but our Innocent blood will serve their turn, having Condmened us already before our Tryals, being so much incensed and engaged against us by the Devil, makes us bold to Beg and Implore your Favourable Assistance of this our Humble Petition to his Excellency, That if it be possible our Innocent Blood may be spared, which undoubtedly otherwise will be shed, if the Lord doth not mercifully step in. The Magistrates, Ministers, Jewries, and all the People in general, being so much inraged and incensed against us by the Delusion of the Devil, which we can term no other, by reason we know in our own Consciences, we are all Innocent Persons. here are five Persons who have lately confessed themselves to be Witches, and do accuse some of us, of being along with them at a Sacrament, since we were committed into close Prison, which we know to be Lies. Two of the 5 are (Carriers Sons) Young men, who would not confess any thing till they tyed them Neck and Heels till the Blood was ready to come out of their Noses, and ‘tis credibly believed and reported this was the occasion of making them confess that they never did, by reason they said one had been a Witch a Month, another five Weeks, and that their Mother had made them so, who has been confined here this nine Weeks. My son William Proctor, when he was examin'd, because he would not confess that he was Guilty, when he was Innocent, they tyed him Neck and Heels till the Blood gushed out of his Nose, and would have kept him so 24 Hours, if one more Merciful than the rest, had not taken pity on him, and caused him to be unbound. These actions are very like the Popish Cruelties. They have already undone us in our Estates, and that will not serve their turns, without our Innocent Bloods. If it cannot be granted that we can have our Trials at Boston, we humbly beg that you would endeavour to have these Magistrates changed, and others in their rooms, begging also and beseeching you would be pleased to be here, if not all, some of you at our Trials, hoping thereby you may be the means of saving the shedding our Innocent Bloods, desiring your Prayers to the Lord in our behalf, we rest your Poor Afflicted Servants,

  JOHN PROCTOR, etc.

  Alexander Stolte

  In March 2010, Nineteen year old Alexander Stolte was babysitting one year old Kyleigh McDaniel in Chelsea Vermont. Alexander had been dating the childs mother for about three months.

  On a Wednesday evening, the emergency services were called to report that the child was not breathing. The child was rushed to a hospital in Randolph where she was pronounced dead.

  A police affidavit claimed that Stolte had called the girl’s mother three times on that evening. During the first call, he had told her mother, that the child’s eyes looked droopy. A second call was made to inform the mother that the child would not sleep. The third call had informed the mother that the child was not breathing.

  Stolte told police that the child had earlier fallen into a stroller. The police had suspected that he had been drinking. At first he denied this was the case, but later admitted that he had been drinking vodka. A breathalyzer test put his blood alcohol level at .07 the police said.

  The child had been killed by blunt impacts to the head, and Stolte was held without bail. The mother had left Stolte to care for the child while she went to work.

  At his trial, Stolte pleaded not guilty to second degree murder. The child’s family all viewed from the gallery. Stolte again claimed that the child had tripped into a walker earlier in the night. The doctor’s reports told a very different story.

  Doctors had found several injuries to the child. They found she had multiple skull fractures, bleeding in the brain and a broken right leg. The injuries were consistent with a child that had been beaten. She died of injuries to the head, and Stolte was the only person who had access to the child at that time.

  Stolte in court invoked his right to choose the fifth amendment, and chose not to speak to investigators. He was a former High School star La Crosse player, but had spent several years homeless and had admitted to have dabbled with drugs.

  Chief Medical Examiner Steven Shapiro ruled that Kyleigh died of blunt impacts to the head and classified her death as murder. Stolte showed no emotion during the hearing, while the child’s mother clutched at a stuffed animal that had belonged to her daughter.

  The child’s mother wept openly as the child’s injuries were described to the court. Her head dropped until it was almost touching her knees. Stolte is charged with murder, and a DNA test was requested to ensure there was adequate evidence to conduct an independent investigation.

  The Dartmouth Murders

  In January of 2001, the quiet rustic town of Etna New Hampshire, was the location of a horrifically brutal double murder. The victims were two college professors. A married couple named Half and Susanne Zantop. Half was of German origin.

  While studying at Stanford University, Half was to meet his future wife Susanne Korsukewitz. Half was studying for his doctorate, while Susanne who was also of German origin was working towards her master’s, it was at this point that they began dating.

  In 1969 Half received his PHD in geology, and was offered job in South America as a field Geologist. He asked Susanne if she would accompany him and she agreed. A year later the couple were wed. Through the union, they bore two daughters named Veronika and Marianna.

  In 1975 the family moved to Germany so that half could become a research fellow at Heidelberg University, but in 1976, he was offered a position at Dartmouth College, so the family headed back toward the United States.

  Dartmouth University is renowned for being one of the most academically esteemed Universities in America. It also enjoys a reputation for high frolics and fun antics amongst the fraternities, it is said to have been the inspiration behind the film ‘animal house’.

  For 25 years half remained as a professor at Dartford. He was well liked among students and colleagues and had even gained the nickname ‘Mr Sweetness’. Susanne was said to be of a high energy nature, and she would often bake cookies for her students. She also authored numerous books and won an outstanding book award from the German studies association.

  On Saturday the 27th of January 2001, Roxanna Verona, who was a professor of French and Italian at Dartmouth College, drove to the village of Etna in New Hampshire. She was to have dinner with the Zantop’s. She arrived around 6.30pm and pulled up into the driveway.

  Fresh snow had fallen and she left footprints as she walked to her colleague’s house. She could see that lights were on in the house and Susanne had told her that the front door would be unlocked. Upon entering the house, she felt what she would later describe as an eerie sensation. The scent of food cooking could be smelt throughout the house, but she could hear no sounds from anywhere in the house.

  Verona called out to Susanne, asking where she was, but she heard no response. As she wandered into the house, she could see food on the kitchen counter. She called out again to Susanne and Half, but again there was no response. She walked to the st
udy, and found a scene of utter horror. Her colleagues were both laid silent, but were both covered in blood.

  Verona ran from the house, she made her way to her car and fled to the nearest house. The house was that of former college dean Dr Robert McCollum. She pounded on the door,. Verona was distraught when she was taken into the house, she explained to the McCollum family about what she had found at the house of the Zantop family.

  Robert McCollum took his daughter Cindy, and together they drove to the house. They found the bodies of the Zantop’s laid on the floor. They then contacted the local services. The area was quickly secured and the scene was examined, but there was no visible sign of a forced entry into the premises. They did however find a blood stained foot print on the wooden floor.

  The police found two 12inch long black plastic knife sheaths, each embossed with the letters SOG, but despite extensive searching, they could not find the murder weapons anywhere in the house. It was assumed that as there were two knife sheaths, there was a strong likelihood that there were two knives for two killers.