Salisbury’s Unsolved Murder Case
“My name is Lucinda Grisham, and I was a resident of Chariton County for nearly all of my 75 years. I wanted to live much longer, enjoying my simple yet joyous life. Alas, this was not my fate.
On Saturday February 29, 1908, my young son Milton arrived at my home on South Broadway in Salisbury to visit. He expected to greet me inside my home as usual, but instead was met with the gruesome site of my severely strangled, violently beaten and bruised lifeless body. A sight no son should ever have to witness – a death I did not deserve.
The scene of my murder was nearly immediately flooded with people – authorities, and those with morbid curiosity.
Despite the coroner Dr. I. Knott performing an inquest on my body the same night I was found, he offered no further information or insight pertaining to my murder. Though he was certainly paid the handsome amount of $34.13 from the county to file the certificate of my death.
I lived a fairly secluded life. My livelihood consists of approximately $50 a month. The Tuesday prior to the discovery of my lifeless body, I had collected rent. According to the authorities and would be sleuths, robbery was the motive for my violent death – the criminal almost certainly one who knew me enough to know I collected rent for the month. The crime committed that was committed sometime between that very Tuesday and Friday night.
Oh what sensational news the story of my death became! Reported state-wide, in newspapers too many to count. And still, the authorities made no progress on identifying my killer. There was rumor of a suspicious old scissor-grinder being in my neighborhood, though whether this had any relevance to my case was unable to be substantiated by the authorities. Such little progress was made, The Salisbury Commercial Club began raising funds to employ more experienced detectives, and to offer a reward for the capture of my murderer. In the span of 2 weeks, my story went from front page news, to being buried amongst the pages of inconsequential, local news.”
Clue
Stop number 9 shines brightly as the beginning of Salisbury’s Canvas Cruise and the education of Salisbury’s youth.