Amanda Shirley was murdered in her own home by person unknown on September 17, 1911 in her home a few miles north of Melbourne in the Cat Creek neighborhood.
Harrison County Times Bethany Mo Thu Sep 24 1931 page 8
Twenty Years Ago
Sep 22, 1911
-One of the most horrible and mysterious murder cases in the history of Harrison county was discovered at the home of Ed Shirley, north of Melbourne, last Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Shirley was about thirty years of age and leaves a husband, three sons, and one daughter besides a host of relatives and friends. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon.
No Clue to Identity of Slayer of Mrs. Ed Shirley
"Bunk" Davidson, Cousin of Victim, is Being Watched, but Has Not Been Charged With Crime
Carthage Evening Press Carthage Mo Fri Sep 22 1911 page 1
Associated Press Updates
Trenton, Mo., Sept. 22 - "Bunk" Davidson, a young married man of the Melbourne neighborhood, is being guarded in his home pending investigation in connection wtih the murder of Mrs. Ed Shirley there last Sunday. Davidson is a cousin by marriage of the murdered woman and has two children. He has not been formally charged with the crime. Davidson is a fat man, which fact alone coincides with the story of the 2-year-old daughter who witnessed the crime, but could not comprehend its meaning.
Mrs. Shirley was alone with the little daugther Sunday, her husband and little son having gone away for the day. When they returned they found the house locked and were obliged to break in. The door to Mrs. Shirley's chamber was also locked. On her bed lay the murdered woman, her neck broken as if by a twist, and bruises on her wrist evidently received in a struggle.
There was blood in the room and on the window whence her assailant had fled, but no blood had been drawn from the victim.
The baby daughter said "a big fat man slapped mamma and mamma slapped him."
The little one was not frightened. Mrs. Shirley had been assaulted. Bloodhounds from Nebraska arrived yesterday, but the trail was cold. The Shirleys are highly respectable country people living in Harrison county, near the Grundy county line.
MRS. ED SHIRLEY MURDERED
Found Dead in Her home North of Melbourne. Husband Away From Home at Time.
______________________________
One of the most horrible and mysterious murder cases in the history of Harrison county, was discovered at the home of Ed Shirley, north of Melbourne, last Sunday afternoon. Mr. Shirley in company with Mrs. Dick Whitt and another lady, who had been visiting at his home, and his three boys left about eleven o'clock Sunday morning to the home of a relative north of his house where they spent the day, leaving Mrs. Shirley and their three year old daughter at home alone. Almost half past four o'clock Mr. Stanley and the three boys returned home, and when they arrived at the house they found all the doors and windows locked, and the little girl playing about the house. One of the boys was helped in at a broken window and then unlocked the door, letting Mr. Shirley and the other boys into the house. Upon inquiring about the mother, the little girl told him, "That a fat man come and fight Mamma, and Mamma fight him. Mamma sleeping now," pointing to the locked bedroom up stairs. Mr. Shirley at once ran up the stairs and found Mrs. Shirley apparently asleep on the floor, but upon further investigation found she was dead. He rean down stairs at once and called for help, and Thos. Maxwell and wife who were in a pasture a short distance south of the house, feeding some cattle came to his aid.
Word was also sent over the country by phone and Dr. Sailor of Melbourne summoned and a short time afterwards Dr. Magraw of this city was called. Upon arrival both doctors pronounced it a case of murder, and afater examing the body, found that her neck had been broken. No other marks showing signs of a struggle were found, except on her wrists, which had turned slightly black. Death apparently was the result of an encounter wiht a fied who had entered her house and attacked her while her husband and three sons were away. In the kitchen was found a pan of potatoes and a knife which had probably been thrown by her when attacked, adn it is thought that possibly she had ran upstairs in an effort to secure a gun which was in that room.
Blood was found on Mrs. Shirley's clothing, and about the room evidencing that the slayer had been wounded in the struggle possibly with the knife which she had been peeling potatoes before retreating upstairs.
The general opinion seems to prevail in that neighborhood that the party who did the deed, was one knew that Mr. Shirley was away, and don't think it probably that a tramp had done the deed, as their home is situated off the main road and no tramps were ever known to be in that vicinity. An effort was made to secure bloodhounds, but they were unable to get them in time to do any good.
At the inquest held on Monday the jury returned a verdict that Mrs. Shirley had come to her death at the hands of some unknown person or persons.
Mrs. Shirley was about 30 years of age, and formerly Miss Amanda Sovereign, and leaves a husband, three sons and one daughter, besides a host of relatives and friends to mourn her loss. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon.
A great many rumors are in circulation in regard to suspicious parties being in the country, but all have proved to be false alarms. Reports were recieved here today that two arrests have been made, but it is not known for certain it is hoped that the guilty party will be found in a short time.
ST Louis Glove-Democrat St Louis MO Fri Sept 22 1911 page 4
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE GLOBE-DEMOCRAT
TRENTON, MO. September 21. - Bunk Davidson, a young married farmer, about 35 years old and father of two children, is being held by the Harrison County authorities near Melbourne, in connection with the killing of Mrs. Ed Shirley of the same neighborhood. Late to-day no formal charges had been preferred against Davidson, but he was being guarded at his home.
The holding of Davidson adds new fire to the already heated sentiment in the Brimson neighborhood, the outcome of one of the most brutal crimes ever known in this section of Missouri. Mrs. Shirley was murdered Sunday by an unknown assailant, who broke her neck. When he husband and little son returned from a day's trip they found the doors locked. A 2-year-old daughter, who had remained with the mother, was inside, unhurt. The assailant had evidently escaped by a window. Mrs. Shirley's body bore no marks save bruises on her wrists, but on the window was blood, showing that her antagonist had probably not escaped unscratched.
The little girl told those who arrived later that a "big fat man" had "fought with mamma" and that "mamma was asleep now." An effort was made to get bloodhounds to the scene, but they were late in arriving and accomplished nothing.
County Court A reward of $400 offered for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons guilty of the murder of Mrs. Ed Shirley on Sept. 17 1911. This reward to stand for one year from Nov. 3 1911.
will try to get them on here in a timely fashion. I was hoping I 'd find something that said they solved her case. no. sadly, I did not. this poor woman. she's a cold case. did they have cold cases back then? they just didn't seem to have anything much to go on. it was a different time. no CCTV footage, or DNA, or cell phone pings, or devices for the FBI to unlock and scrutinize. no profilers or sketch artists. no witnesses besides her young daughter. RIP, Amanda.
and I read through it all again, tried to find answers to questions I'd previously jotted down, did some online looking....and stumbled on what I think is an AI generated something...all the links went to my Amanda blog. then I saw a Reddit post from 5 years ago, so at this late stage in life, I have joined Reddit. there were 2 comments on this post. will have to figure out how to navigate Reddit, maybe I will find more posts.
