Researching 1940's Crime in Blackfoot, ID (Troy: house, school, news)

[flipvamp]

Hello,

I am trying to research a Crime that took place in Blackfoot Idaho in the early 1940's. I found out recently that my Grandma who passed away in 2002 was beaten, raped, and almost killed while she was a school teacher in Blackfoot, Idaho. The criminals where caught and my Grandma also had to face them in court, and federal court on her own.

I am hitting a lot of dead ends trying to do research online and wondering if anyone knows how or where I could find court records, or news paper records for this era. Something deep inside me is driving me to do this research, as I never knew her very well. Her name was Adelia Lindsay at the time of the crime between 1940 and 1945.

Thanks,

Troy

Flipvamp@yahoo.com

[proud to be American]

Court records should be kept in the county courthouse in the county in which the crime took place. Any crime this old might be kept in another location away from more modern records, perhaps in a basement. You will need to show up in person at the county courthouse and make sure the clerk actually knows of all records and where there kept. Example not very many people are coming by the courthouse looking up crimes sixty plus years ago so, the clerk might not be aware of where older records are kept. Then again you might get lucky and they may have scanned all records onto computer.
Go to the local Newspaper media in that area in person and do the same ask for access to old records.

Goodluck

[Avaria]

When I first moved up to Idaho, I met a man who was a Blackfoot Police Officer. He told me all kinds of horror stories about the town. The crime used to be so bad that they knick named the town "little Chicago" at one point.
He also told me that there are all kinds of strange things that happen in Blackfoot, and over the years they have had a few really sadistic killers.

As far as your question goes -- I would search records, but also see if you can find any police officers or long time residents of the town to talk to.

[flipvamp]

Thanks for the information! I have already had some success finding a researcher in the area. Gathering any info, such as the "little Chicago" comment is very helpful for my research..

Regards,

Troy