Marian Louise Baker's Roots, Love and Family Ties

Marian Louise Baker came from a family steeped in respect and love. Her parents had suffered the dissolution of their marriage when Marian and her brother Ross were small, but the core of the family was steadfast. It flowed through Marian and Ross as they kept the tether between them strong and unyielding despite the physical miles that separated them after Marian went to live with her Aunt Ally and Uncle Jack in Conestoga.
That very respect for family and love was acted upon by those giving, compassionate people as they raised Marian. They made sure that they did all they could to maintain the relationship between Marian and her brother, Ross.
The O'Donels were what most Lancaster Countians aspire to be. Hardworking, faithful and faith-driven, they acted on their beliefs and were genuine. They raised Marian with their own children and the fact that Marian wasn't born of their union was so completely irrelevant that it never occurred or mattered to anyone.
Even as a little girl, I was aware of the goodness of the O'Donels. It was stated in my presence many times and it was just understood. It went without question.
I consider Leroy and Alice O'Donel angels on earth.
If God has laid out the paths for our lives then He knew what awful fate awaited Marian, for whatever His reason. And if that is the case, then He made sure to place His angels at Marian's side as she grew up, to love her, to protect her, to give her the foundation of faith and goodness that she would carry with her as she returned to heaven. I don't believe in coincidences. Marian Louise was born into a family of goodness and she bore the fruit of her ancestors. She stood on the shoulders of greatness, as we all do. Each of us has certain facts, traits in our ancestry that form greatness. Whether it be my dear Aunt Marge's untiring efforts and sacrifices to get her education and become a teacher, or an ancestors toil and struggle to fight finances and hardship to hold onto the family farm or land, we all have that incredible foundation to stand on.
I have not been lucky enough to know many numbers of people who knew Marian or her family but I have been blessed to come to know one. And there is no question to what Marian stood for or from whence she came.

This is the homestead of Marian's family in New Bloomfield, Perry County, Pennsylvania. The deep roots of respect and love of family grew here. Marian loved New Bloomfield.

This is the home of Marian's Aunt Ally and Uncle Jack, the O'Donels, that they purchased in 1960, after Marian's death.

Marian's brother, Ross Dalton Baker Smith is on the left. He loved his sister all of his days and not once did he forget her. He left a granddaughter to bear his beloved sister's name. He lived a life of honor and was a great man. An author, a Navyman, he loved the letters his sister sent to him while he was serving our country.

The Worst Has Come To Pass....is what the Lancaster Newspapers printed when Marian Baker's body was found under the Harnish Cottage near Media Heights Golf Course. Some still had held out hope that she was being held against her will or had suffered some accident but was still alive. The awful discovery sickened the county and was a turning point in how many people saw the world of the local Lancastrian.

Guilty, death penalty. The jury spoke. And they spoke without question or apparent hesitation. Many were shocked at the death verdict. It took the courtroom by surprise. Some said that even the Judge was caught totally off guard, enough that he never uttered a thanks to the jury, but simply dismissed them.

Ed Gibbs had confessed to the murder but went to his grave with the truth. He knew that there was a very good chance that he would face execution but he reacted to the verdict and sentence with raw emotion.

That display of emotion was completely absent as he sat in the electric chair for his ultimate punishment.

Ed Gibbs was an outsider. He wasn't a 'townie' and he wasn't a local. Because of his heinous crime, many Lancastrians saw fit to label all F&M male students a threat of some sort, despite the fact that many were local young men of unquestionable character.

One male student at F & M at the time of the murder, one who was rather close to the situation, was walking on the sidewalk in Lancaster. It was after the murder and Marian's fate was known. He was wearing a sweater that clearly identified him as an F & M student. As he approached a local woman who was busy watering her flowerbeds, she turned on him and sprayed him, hissing her venom at him for being from the school and it was clear that the leeching of fear and disgust over the murder extended to and hurt innocent people.

The Missing Wife....Helen Woodward Gibbs returned to New Jersey with Ed's parents after his arrest and for all intents and purposes disappeared. Her father made brief statements referring to her but never allowed any direct interviews of his daughter. Ed claimed to have written to her several times but denied getting any response at all. The carefully constructed wall of protection around Helen Gibbs was almost impenetrable.

Her family claimed that she had 'taken to her bed'.

Many questions remain about Helen Gibbs.

Was she indeed pregnant as several people who knew the couple back then still believe?

Did she have a foreshadowing of the dark soul of her husband?

Was she and/or her family privy to details of the crime that made her unable to even comprehend that she had married and laid down with a creature such as Ed Gibbs?

Helen Gibbs was a victim in this tragedy as well.

I cannot imagine that a day has passed in her life that she doesn't remember those times, no matter how badly she may pray to forget.

Much Information to Review, Think About and Further Compile

I have not intentionally been absent from this blog.
This blog is totally unlike the others. It's become focused and is not the place to share current events unrelated to Marian's Story, opinions on other topics, etc.
I've been busy gathering additional information, perceptions, stories and remembrances. Now I need to let them 'gel'. I need to attempt to verify some information, compile even more and then let the information lead me where it will.
I post on my blogs much the way I conduct myself in 'real life'. I don't make small talk, nor do I chit chat.
I've never been one to fill idle or empty space with filler. Such is the case with this blog.
This blog is all about Marian Louise Baker now. Every now and then I may make a reference to other similar crimes but it won't be often.
I am still waiting on some responses and some information from people relatively close to the situation. I so appreciate their help, their time and their consideration as I attempt to learn all I can about Marian and her life.
I will update here as the information is available and after I've had a chance to let it 'gel' and then revisit it to give it a sense of cohesion :)

Been Out Of Town For A Few Days, Be Back Sunday Night!

Taking care of business :) Have a great weekend!

To Be Remembered As....

With the recent passing of Mr. John A. Jarvis, the Headmaster Emeritus of Lancaster Country Day School, I've been reliving some of the memories I have of my days at LCDS. Mr. Jarvis was truly one of those people that you never, ever forgot.
He touched so many lives but it was his attention to the single, solitary student of the moment that everyone remembers most.
Marian Louise Baker touched lives in exactly the same way. Her smile is still remembered. Her laugh and concern for others has never been diminished nor forgotten over the years.
These are two people who are remembered with smiles, admiration, love and respect.
It makes me go back to thoughts I often have.
We all have a choice as to how we will be remembered when we shuffle off of this mortal coil.
That's a weighty responsibility on our own shoulders if you consider it.
Neither John Jarvis or Marian Baker had set down a real plan for how they would be recalled by those left behind. They were just being who they were, doing what they do. And what blessings they were to those who knew them, loved them and those who were lucky enough to have ever met them.
When you move on, what will people remember most about you?
Was it your smile, your kindness and compassion for others?
Was it your willingness to help those who needed a hand up or an ear or a shoulder?
Will you be remembered as someone who could be counted on to tell the truth and be respectable and admirable?
In all reality, the memories and impressions we leave this earth are the essence of our purpose here.
We leave our footprints behind.
Marian Baker's footprints are still clear. Her character still stands, no matter the smoke and mirrors that were played for profit.
John Jarvis' footprints will remain clear for generations.
I aspire to be like Marian Baker and John Jarvis.
It's not about money or prestige. It is all about treating other human beings with singular respect and kindness.
And making sure that anyone you interact with knows that they are significant and they matter.
That's the good stuff :)

My Innate Curiosity

I posted this question or one similar to it on The Confluence blog.

Hypothetical situation:

You are a juror in a murder trial.
You have been instructed to not discuss the case in any way, shape or form.
You have located my forum posts, blog posts and comments on the 'net.
Would any of the opinions I've offered or questions I've posed have a genuine effect on your ultimate decision as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant?
Or would you rely on the evidence as presented by the prosecution and the defense?

As I posted elsewhere, that's not a difficult question for me.
I could read opinions, theories and comments all day long. It comes down to the evidence.
No jury decision is minor to either side.
And most of all its not trivial to the defendant.
We all have the right to be judged on the weight of the evidence.

Just a question that ran through my head this afternoon.
The impact of the true electronic age is unknown right now. What it may lead to in the way we live our lives in the future has yet to be seen.
I thought today about the Roseboro murder trial and the petition for a hearing filed by the defense.
I believe I remember a television interview with "the" juror in question, I believe his name is Nick?
At the time I saw the interview, I was unaware as I believe most people were, that there was any question of juror misconduct on his part regarding Facebook postings and responses.
I was impressed that a young man could be so forthcoming and frank in stating the reason or basis for his decision. He seemed clear and level headed. He left a good impression on me and several others that spoke to me about it.
He impressed me as an intelligent young man.
Once the brouhaha started over the Facebook postings I really didn't see the problem as that influential.
In a way, he's already testified as to his thought process in his decision in the verdict.
I hope the DA and the defense have pulled that interview and have watched it again and again.
I never got the impression that the young man in the interview made his decision based on anything but the evidence, no matter what was posted on his wall on Facebook.
What do you think?

Touching Base :)

It's been a busy few days and I have some organizing to do re: notes, thoughts, etc.
I will be posting and updating once that is done, and I have much research yet ahead of me.
I thank those of you who've contacted me. I keep saying "Thank you" and I hope you all know that it's not lip service. There is no way on this earth I could do this without your help.
I'm honored that you have chosen to share your memories, stories, thoughts and theories with me.
You are my link to that time. You are my link to finally knowing Marian.
What a lady :) You're respect, love and admiration of her was never misplaced, that is clear, even after all these years.
There are blessings in everything we do. And this story, as sad and tragic as it has always been has given me some blessings.
I hope to make Marian and all who knew and loved her, feel as if the truth has finally seen the light of day.
I am in the process of finding out what happened to the picture of Marian that hung in East Hall at F & M. I pray that it will be located and put back where it belongs, on the campus she loved so much!

The Concensus Is......

After having had the opportunity to interact and speak with a few people who knew Ed Gibbs in his Lancaster college days, there's a clear concensus. Not one person can say that, after they thought about it, they were totally shocked that he turned out to be the person that killed Marian Baker.
They admitted to initial surprise, almost shock, but that's a natural and normal reaction when hit with that kind of news about someone you've spent much time with, some on a daily basis. It almost seems like overflow. The initial shock is based more on the disbelief that you've been so close to a person with murderous tendencies.
Ed Gibbs clearly had at least two warring factions in his psyche.
He desperately craved the almost smothering praise and adoration he received not just from his mother and father, but his extended family as well. The folks of Pitman thought highly of the Gibbs family, although there were many opinions of the family dynamic that never came within earshot of J. Lester and Florence.
Apparently there was a bit of eye rolling and sighing when it came to watching and hearing the praise and latest "accomplishments" of Eddie, but no one ever took Florence by the hand and made any suggestions about perhaps changing up her parenting style. J. Lester, Eddie's Dad, was rather ......quiet. He may have sensed that they were doing their only son, their only child a great disservice by not forcing him to grow up and deal with the world as an adult. He knew full well that they never gave him the building blocks to do just that.
If Eddie's father knew that his son was growing physically but was so very lacking in emotional and psychological development, he either made no moves to change the course or his efforts were ignored by his wife.
No one that I've spoken to believes that Ed's parents ever had an idea or a worry that their son would turn out to be a vicious killer.
I have wondered about any odd behaviors in his life as a little boy or teenager. We know about the horrible, macabre behaviors of people like Jeffrey Dahmer and his mistreatment of animals and other living things. Nothing has ever been shared similar to that in Gibbs past.
But we all need to remember that this was the 1920s on. Times were far, far different.
What is commonplace today, so sadly, was scandalous or unimaginable back then.
Take the times, society of the day and couple it with a family so motivated by social standing, so worried about appearances and I believe that even if the Gibbs parents were aware of some dark behaviors of their son, no one would ever have been told.
J. Lester probably chalked it up to a phase and assured Florence that Eddie would outgrow it.
Florence probably just hummed and got dressed for church.

A man doesn't bludgeon a young woman to death unless there has been darkness and evil roots in his psyche for quite some time.
Ed's hair trigger temper was a standout characteristic. Even those who knew him rather marginally mention that as what they knew about him, what they remember.
He was used to appearing quite the "man about town". He would lie about his "success" with the ladies. He was all about appearances. The real Ed Gibbs was a scary soul.
I wonder if Ed ever knew, deep down, that those who spent time around him saw through his facade?
He was another Emperor. Only this one liked loud sport coats and ties.

On January 10, 1950 Ed wasn't getting what he wanted. All the way around.
He wanted to drop out of school. His parents and wife said no.
He wanted to get a job that he would enjoy. His parents and wife said no.
He wanted to "make" Marian Baker. She said no.
And he killed her.

Gehman wrote, in his book, that Ranck questioned Gibbs about choking Marian.
He asked him how long he choked her. Did he continue until he "wholly choked" her.
He never "wholly" choked her.
The autopsy results, as little as were included in the book, indicate no force sufficient to render her lifeless due to strangulation. There is no mention of fracture of the hyoid bone.
Rather, she exhibited clear defensive wounds on the back of her hand.
The fat emboli that were found in her lungs clearly indicated that she was still alive when the most forceful of the blows were delivered.
What really happened by the Harnish cottage on January 10, 1950?
Where was the lug wrench that it was so quickly accessible to Gibbs that he could wield it while Marian was still very much alive? Most people mistakenly believed that Gibbs attacked her with the lug wrench after she was rendered unconscious or dead from being choked. That is not the case.
The location of the wounds indicate mobility on her part.
Where was the lug wrench in that car and when was it placed in it's location?
The details of the attack that day are the key to seeing the real Edward Lester Gibbs.
In his mind, Marian had to die. There was no option.
What was he trying to stop, to avoid?

Gibbs behavior after the killing is also paramount to understanding his psychological make up.
His return visits to the scene and Marian's body are vitally important to knowing the whole story.
I'll offer that he didn't return to the scene with the shovel simply to try to bury the body.
I have to admit that I took that claim at face value when I first read it, and again every time I reread the book.
It made sense to me.
But that was before I knew more about Ed Gibbs.
Just as the psychiatrists took him at his word when they examined him, I took it all at face value as well.
He claimed that he wasn't sexually frustrated. They believed him and wrote it down.
He claimed that certain things didn't bother him. They believed him and wrote it down.
I have a degree in Psychology and my concentration was Clinical, rather that Experimental. And even I had to question why they put such faith in what Gibbs told them.
They were learned enough to spot at least some psychological imbalance, and perhaps a level of latent schizophrenia, but they believed what he told them as they examined him?
That can only be attributed to the infancy of the practice.
Today, even the simplest of psychological survey has safeguards built in to catch the most miniscule inconsistency.
Ed Gibbs lied so often that even he had no idea who or what he was. He just knew he needed to keep playing a role.
Until his dark stuffing came bursting out that day at the Harnish cottage.

An Open Invitation And A Promise

As Marian's Story, and yes, by now it deserves all capital letters for it is truly her story, finds it way across the miles, and the world wide web, I want to extend an open invitation to those who are new to the site to contact me at any time, via the email links on my profile or here, via the comments feature.
I understand that many of you have preferred to remain in the background and as many of you know, from your interaction with me, you have my promise of complete privacy.
Trust is paramount with me.
I've trusted those new friends who I've come to know because of the work that I'm doing in honor of Marian and they've come to trust me at my word.
This is still painful for those who love her and it remains very sensitive given the nature of the crime and the horrific path the murderer chose.

I am quite open to meeting and interacting with anyone who wants to share their memories or thoughts with me about Marian, Ed Gibbs or the crime itself.
There has been a bit of a surge in interest in my work and I wanted to welcome you to the blog and make sure you know that I am accessible and available if you'd like to contact me.
Thank you for taking the time to read the blog. It's an extremely important story to this day.
Perhaps, even more so now.
And please know that every bit of work I do in this research, every effort I expend, is in honor of Marian.

Why Revisit This All Now?

I needed to get my notes and my thoughts together for this post.
I've been asked why I feel so compelled to revisit this crime at this late date. The question wasn't a challenge to my efforts, it was a sincere and genuine question asked by someone who truly wanted to gain a glimpse into my motivation for learning all I can about Marian, her life and the crime commited against her so long ago.

I thought the answer would be difficult to explain but it's not.

Why revisit this all now, so many years later?

Because Marian Louise Baker deserves to have the truth told of her character, her person, her morals and her value and worth not only to those that loved her by blood, but also to those who knew her, worked with her, went to school with her and simply spent time in her company.

Marian made an impression on the people she met. Her goodness was apparent.
She had so many good qualities that I am sincerely sorry I never got to meet her.

But the drive behind my efforts are due to the misinformation and fallacious information that was disseminated by the press and by the author, Richard Gehman.

Facts were presented that weren't facts.

The motives behind the fallacies are numerous. I can't alter them now.

But I can make sure I tell the whole story of the person that is Marian Louise Baker.
She was much more than a simple county girl who happened to work as a secretary at Franklin and Marshall.
She touched lives and she was someone to be looked up to.
I need to correct the misinformation and tear down the fallacies in a concrete way.
She deserves to have the truth told. Once and for all.
She needs to be remembered for the good soul she was, not the subject of curiosity by those that love a good scandal.
I simply want to remove the undeserved innuendo and rumor that was intentionally placed on Marian Louise Baker to sell books and newspapers.
I simply want the truth to be known by everyone.

They Protect Him To This Very Day

The Gibbs family is interred in the Hillcrest Cemetery on Delsea Drive just outside Pitman, New Jersey.

I need to thank a very dear person for helping me with the information from the cemetery itself. I owe you much more than a debt of gratitude and I can only hope that my efforts in this project serve you well in the way that they need to.

For several years, Ed Gibbs' grave was unmarked.

We now know, as of this week, that that isn't the case any longer.

His grave is clearly marked in the family plot.

Ed is buried between his mother and father.

J. Lester Gibbs died in 1964. He wasn't a well man during his son's murder trial and collapsed several times and had a heart attack early on in the proceedings.

Mrs. Florence Gibbs died in 1993.

She placed her son next to his father and then upon her passing, next to her also.

The symbolism there is screaming.

They are flanking him in death as they did in life.

It was told to me that the position of the resting places speaks volumes as to the mindset of the Gibbs parents.

It's only natural that no parent could imagine or believe that their child could have done to Marian Baker what Ed Gibbs did to her.

He confessed and gave the world the details. Not all of them were revealed. The very worst weren't necessary for the success of the trial on the Prosecution's side and they surely weren't going to be revealed by the Defense.

But most parents would somehow, someday, come to grips with the truth and have to admit to themselves that their child was a murderer. They would still love the child, but the truth would become a very dark but tangible part of their reality.

Marian's aunt and uncle, the O'Donels, were faith-filled Christian people. They found peace and forgiveness for the Gibbs family through Christ. They wrote to the Gibbs' several times telling them of their Christian compassion and forgiveness, clearly telling them that they held nothing against the Gibbs parents for what Ed had done.

Not one response ever came back.

The O'Donels were surprised and puzzled.

Now, it seems a bit clearer.

J. Lester died in 1964. Florence lived the rest of her days never truly believing that her Eddie had killed Marian Baker. Her psychological timbre was so fragile that she removed anything to do with the crime, trial and execution from her reality.

Her behavior and demeanor at her son's services is macabre but telling.

Florence Gibbs could finally, for the first time in her life since the birth of her baby boy, Eddie, relax.

She now knew and would know for all time, where he was, if he was safe and what he was doing.

He was "home".

Florence mothered Ed "in a box" for as long as she could while he was alive.

It wasn't easy. And she was a walking nervous wreck.

But now, Eddie was in the big box and he couldn't get hurt, he couldn't fail, he couldn't put a dark mark on the family name and he couldn't challenge the desires and decisions of the family anymore.

Eddie didn't kill Marian. But Eddie passed away.

So Florence made potato salad and hosted the mourners and went on with her life.

And when her husband died, he took his place at the side of Eddie, and she would flank him years down the road.

I almost feel  a sense of defiance in Florence Gibbs.
It would have hurt many mothers to ignore a letter from the O'Donel family. They reached out in Christian love and compassion.

I truly wonder if Florence kept the letters. I would love to know if they were part of her personal effects when she died.

Or if they were thrown in the trash as Florence hummed to quiet the voices in her head.

Two Lines Left Their Points of Origin......And Their Intersection Was Deadly

The Franklin and Marshall College Campus served as the point of intersection for the lines that reperesent the lives of Marian Louise Baker and Edward Lester Gibbs.

Had Marion not been employed there, and had J. Lester and Florence Gibbs not demanded that their only child, son Eddie attend college, they never would have encountered each other.

The photos of the F & M campus show it's beauty from the past. It remains a beautiful campus today.

Steeped in authentic history, it's been the locus of learning of those who have gone into the world to create and generate impact and progress.

Marian Baker loved F & M. She was much more that "just a secretary". Marian was loved and very well thought of. That is precisely why no one even thought of checking the financial records or books when she was reported missing. There was never a question as to her honesty.

Edward Lester Gibbs had been a big fish in a small pond at Pitman High in New Jersey. He had excelled in most sports and was well known and well thought of. His family name was well known and his once uncle had been the Mayor of Pitman. That ended with the 1953 election. I do not for a fact whether his term limits prevented him from running again, whether he ran and lost or given the conviction and execution of his nephew, he decided to avoid the public limelight.

Marian graduated from Penn Manor, having taken the Commercial Course. She was hired shortly after graduation by Hamilton Watch Company, in the cafeteria. By a stroke of good luck, at the time, she was notified of a job opening at Franklin and Marshall College. There was no doubt as to her suitability for any job. She was meticulous, she was a hard worker, a pleasant and respectful and respectable young lady and conscientious beyond measure. She loved her job, she loved the college and she was in the midst of one of the happiest periods in her life. She became engaged at Christmas of 1949 to Edgar Rankin and looked forward to married life.

Marian Baker didn't have a promiscuous day in her life.

She was able to smile and appear to be rather comfortable with others, yet she may have been quite shy on the inside. She smiled easily and was an attractive young woman.

Jealous females who couldn't understand "the draw" of Marian made snide remarks and innuendoes. That practice goes on today, in great numbers and with far more insult included to anyone who the masses don't quite understand.

Marian's easy smile and friendliness, coupled with her lack of promiscuity made her the topic of comments and conversation. In addition to the jealous females, who clearly didn't know Marian at all, the men who got nowhere with Marian added fuel to the fire. The old fashioned, is it really?, practice of claiming to have gotten farther with a female than the facts would support was an insult to Marian.

The salacious claims would have gone down in history unspoken and unknown to all had Marian not been murdered in 1950.

Marian was popular with the college administration and officials. They recognized her loyalty to the school and her class. She was chosen to judge an advertising poster contest of Alpha Delta Sigma on the campus, in early 1949. She joined the ranks of Nancy Stonesifer, the Assistant Professor's wife who also worked with Marian in the Treasurer's Office and Max Hannum, the Assistant to the Dean. Alpha Delta Sigma was the national advertising fraternity. I have been told that Ed Gibbs was a member of Alpha Delta Sigma, being a Business major. Is this where he first met Marian. We know that he knew her from his visits to the Treasurer's Office. But that could have been the setting of Ed's first spying Marian, the beautiful young lady.

Marian participated in the college that she loved so dearly. I have wondered about Marian's later life. Would she have left the college to have children and raise them? Or would she hold the college so dear to her heart and stay on campus and grow and become even more a thread in the fabric of F & M?

The photograph of Marian that hung in the Bursar's Office in East Hall on the campus is of great interest to me and to others very close to Marian. I am in the process of finding out what happened to that photograph.

Did it hang there until the demolition? Was it placed in college storage? I'm anxiously awaiting answers to those questions.

Marian's photograph needs to be rehung. Or a commissioned painting of her needs to replace it.

Her heart belonged to F & M and she would be honored to be remembered there.

What an opposing view of humanity you get when you compare Marian Louise Baker to Edward Lester Gibbs.

There is NO comparison.

Gibbs had his demons. His mother's instability, his father's ineffectual stance.

Overprotected and spoiled, Ed was denied the very tools of development he needed to face life as a functioning adult. But he knew his own shortcomings. He bailed on help at the Guidance Center at F & M.

He needed to stand up to J. Lester and Florence and tell them that as a married adult man he was dropping out of college and getting a job. That was all he needed to do.

His parents needed to allow a separate human being the right to choose how he lived his life.

I hold no pity for Gibbs. I can understand the parts of the horror picture that became his life, but I don't excuse it.

A lack of courage killed Marian Baker.

Gibbs' parents lack of courage in allowing their son to make his own choices and perhaps not live up to the family name.....

Ed's lack of courage in taking a stand and doing what he needed to do. He wasn't going to graduate. He needed to blurt it out, hand his mother a handkerchief and take his lumps.

The Gibbs family in it's entirety is responsible for Marian's murder.

Ed wielded the lug wrench but his parents were sitting on his shoulder.

Societal position and appearance were more important to them than their son's happiness.

I can't imagine the relief Ed would have felt if at Christmas of 1949, when he did indeed tell his mother that there was a chance he'd not graduate, his mother would have shed a few tears and dealt with it.

Instead, her show of histrionics fed Ed's pathological desire to please. So he told her he was just kidding.

Christmas 1949....

Marian is filled with joy and happiness as she becomes engaged to Edgar Rankin.

Ed Gibbs is filled with dark frustration and rage.

And on January 10, 1950 Marian Baker paid the price for the sins of the Gibbs family.

Sad and horrible in its own right.

Now add to that a sloppily written book, by a largely absent author, tossing innuendo and scandal onto the memory of Marian Baker, where it surely didn't belong.

Gehman victimized Marian all over again.

And to this day, those that knew her and love her still just can't cotton to that.

It's never set well. It doesn't today.

An Early Night and Some Final Thoughts!

We have a long day on the road tomorrow, so I'm calling it an early night here.
Plans are being made to meet with at least one more friend of Ed Gibbs. I am so anxious to hear more personal impressions of him. If anyone ever really knew him.......
As always, I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to several folks who understand how important this project is. What started as my fascination and compulsion to learn more about the case and Marian Baker, in particular has now become so so much more!
This is all about Marian Louise Baker. And finally, there's a real chance for the right thing to be done.
I have to say I'm honored to be able to even participate in this journey.
And I am so so sorry I was never able to meet her. Sincerely.


I'll update here when we get back tomorrow night. Have a safe and wonderful night, all! :)

Ancestry.com and The Master Family Calendar

I've been addicted to genealogy for several years now. Thank heavens I always had an ear to the door when I was growing up! I've been able to trace one branch of my maternal grandmother's mother-in-law's side of the family (that would be my great-grandmother, maternal) back to the 1500's in the Alsace Region of France.
The history of that region is incredible. It's clear that some of our relatives in that branch survived the Black Death. Amazing stuff.
My daughter and I are history nuts, so we've done extensive research into the daily lives of people along the timeline. We know what was occurring in their towns, what their daily routines were like, the wars that were beginning, the exodus and nomadic behavior of the people, the revolutions, the normal dress, customs and foods of the times as well. Some of our records are detailed enough about our ancestors that their actual birthdays are listed.
I keep many birthdays forefront in my mind. My parents, my Nanny (maternal grandmother), brother, aunts, uncles, etc.
But we thought it would be really significant to transcribe all of the dates of birth of all of the ancestors we could locate and fill in a Master Family Calendar.
It would be pretty remarkable to know on any given day, which one of our ancestors arrived in this world, in say, 1502.
We've been able to locate the Passenger Lists from many of the ships that brought our ancestors to this country from various parts of Europe. We have ties to Ireland, Switzerland, France, Germany and that middle ground of Alsace that changed sovereign hands many times in the short window of 75 years. Sometimes it was Germany, sometimes it was France.
Today, the accepted language is French, but there are still those who speak the ancestral Alsatian dialects.
We've studied some of our familial migration patterns throughout Europe. Amazing.
We know which relatives were alive and survived the French Revolution.
We know which ancestors held positions of power and the days some of them married.
I promised my daughter I'd have the calendar completed for her by Friday. I've never been one to turn down a challenge :)
We do know now that our ancestors, after leaving Europe, arrived in Fair Play, MD, Philadelphia and other ports. One branch of our tree turns out is one of the oldest families here in Delaware, based near Pearson's Corner in Kent County. Some headed to New Castle and Wilmington. Others settled in Philadelphia and others went west.
The branch from Philadelphia ventured into Chester County, PA which at one point belonged to Maryland. Chester County, PA later became part of southern Lancaster County.
We have been based in Providence Township, Martick Township (that is not a misspelling), Smithville and Conestoga.
On my paternal side, we originated in Switzerland. Here in this country, we were based in Lexington, PA, Brunnerville, Warwick Twp, Akron, Ephrata and Rothsville, to name but just a few.
I could research the family trees all day long. If I ever win the lottery, you'll know where to find me lol
And today, my daughter and I decided we now have at least one more travel spot to add to our list.
We really feel compelled to travel to Alsace.
Our ties are so strong and so far reaching there.
We have the potential to view the headstones of relatives born in the early 1500's. That just takes my breath away. But the stones aren't going to be around forever and if we're going to see them personally, that is a trip that we can't postpone much longer.
I have no idea how many hours we'd be on the plane...... that wasn't on my list, not even close. Until today.
I'd better start saving up. I would imagine a flight across the 'big lake' isn't all that inexpensive.
I have enough trouble finding the time to cover two or three states! lol
Once the calendar is finished this week, I may post it. I think it's just fascinating stuff!

It's a Totally New Story: The Marian Louise Baker Only A Few Were Privileged To Know

Most people feel it's just an old, worn out cliche...."To know her is to love her."

In Marian Louise Baker's case, it was simply true.

The young woman was respected, admired, liked and loved by all who were lucky enough to know her.

Until the crime in 1950, Marian wasn't in the public spotlight. And once the murder hit the media, the true Marian was never shared with the public. The newspapers articles repeatedly called her pretty or lovely. They also dabbled in the salacious with comments about the murder occurring in a "Lovers Lane" setting.
They never intimated that Marian had a hand in her own death or that she had it coming, but the true essence of Marian was never researched or presented.
Yes, Gibbs was definitely the bad guy. He was never, ever referred to with any real sense of sympathy or understanding. He bashed the life out of a beautiful young woman, in broad daylight, for no good apparent reason. You can't defend that.
The newspapers played their role in allowing questions to arise and swirl as to why Marian was with Ed Gibbs the day he killed her.
Richard Gehman made it a three-pointer.
Maybe the rules were different back then. Authors today are held to a level of truth and research. There are always others out there "fact checking" to keep other authors legitimate.
Not the case with Gehman.
The main character in his book was Gibbs. Clearly.
But Gehman took liberties with Marian Baker's name and reputation.
And never once spoke directly with her family.
He made sure to mention any innuendo and questionable behavior or rumor about Marian, but only countered it with brief, obligatory rebuttal. A few sentences couldn't possibly balance the information. And they certainly didn't tell the truth.
To this day, Marian is remembered and loved. Those that love her have never come to grips with the injustice done to her not only by Gibbs but by Gehman as well.
The real Marian Baker was so much more than anyone ever knew.
She was indeed a simple country girl. But she was meticulous in her work, well thought of by her employers and she loved F & M. She was not simply a secretary. She had shown her mettle and her intelligence as well as her conscientous attention to detail and accuracy. And she was such a pleasant person to be around.
She had a shy smile but never spoke badly of anyone. She had her opinions as we all do but she knew how to control her words. She never intentionally hurt anyone. She had true class. And she was a lady.
The folks she worked with at F & M recognized the qualities that made Marian the lady that she was and they often asked her to participate in college activities. I will never be sure, given the horrible turn of events, but I believe that had Marian lived, she had the potential to spend many, many successful years at F & M. She did, indeed love the school and the school did love her.
My goal is to present the real Marian Baker.
Many who knew her are gone now.
But some do remain, and she deserves to be presented as she actually was.
Finally.
And it can stand as a record in history.
I do believe that she would appreciate that.
Many of you are following this journey along with me. It's much like peeling the layers of an onion.
For all my years of research into Marian and the murder, it's taken forty-one years for me to finally be able to know about Marian from sources that are real and accurate. I can't begin to accurately express my gratitude to those who love Marian so much to this day and who are sharing their memories with me.
You all are the last vestige of hope for any of us to know Marian.
My journey is posted here as I go. It's an ongoing work in progress. I will keep sharing as I go.
And when the time has come when I and those who love Marian feel that the story is as complete as it can ever be, my work will be organized, compiled and set forth in a complete, cohesive story about the life and love of Marian Louise Baker.
I can only wish to be as loved as she is tonight.
It makes me get very quiet realizing just how important she remains, how much a part of her family she is right at this moment.
There is a thread of DNA running through Marian's family that is unbroken and unaltered. And it is comprised of character and love. As I interact more with family and friends of hers, I'm impressed by the character of all involved.
I'll keep posting my journey in its unaltered state. When we're at the end of that road, it will all be a complete story. And it will be available to everyone.
I do need to say something about my comments about F & M.
I have had a problem understanding why no memorial was created in Marian's honor.
I can't speak for what the mindset was at the college in the days and years after her murder. I don't believe any slight was intended. It's just a shame that for the love she held for the school and for the love and admiration so many there had for her that there was no lasting remembrance of her.
It may take me a long while to finally decide how to proceed with an ongoing memorial to Marian.
I need to get to know her much better. Then it will be clear how to do something lasting in her honor.

The Road From New Guildford, Columbiana, Ohio to New Bloomfield, Perry County, Pennsylvania

View Larger Map

Marian Baker's Birth Mother, Mrs. Helen B. Soule Baker Britcher

Marion Louise Baker was the child of Walter M. Baker and Helen B. Soule, of Perry County, PA.

She had one older brother, Ross Dalton Baker.

Both children would spend their childhoods with maternal aunts and their families, Ross being legally adopted eventually. Marian couldn't have been any more a daughter to Aunt Allie and Uncle Jack with a piece of paper saying it was so. She was their daughter and they loved her as one of their own. Losing Marian in the way that they did was horrific for the O'Donels, but their faith bolstered them.

I've come to learn that the family from which Marian came is made of very strong stuff. They are a family of love, loyalty and perseverance. And above all else, love for one another.

The story of Marian Louise Baker begins with her roots.

Purpose, Responsibility and Integrity

I often wonder what truly drives most writers to write.
It is that burning desire, or compulsion to get their innermost thoughts, plots, revelations and passions out to the public?
Some write only for themselves. They have no public readers. Much like the diaries we had as kids, journals, private blogs and sites allow some to just share what they need to say just to commit it to time and place.

Depending on the genre, you can sometimes get a feel for what motivates the author.

Novelists often have to tell "the great story". And thank God some of them have.
Poets have to wax poetic. They just have to. It's not a genre that I can fully understand or embrace, but there are some poems, hymns and other pieces that truly do make me feel something. And that, I believe, is why they write.

In the reality-based genre you have true crime, how-to, public commentary, journalism, travel guides, cooking, and so on. This is where it gets sticky.
Even in a historical novel, there has be basis in fact. You can't treat a reader as if they're stupid. If your story is placed in time, the setting and surroundings have to ring true. If they don't, the reader will shut you down in a heartbeat. You've lost them.
Some writers, especially in journalism truly desire to share the truth with the world.
Some are compelled to write with the greater good of the public in mind. They are acting on a need to serve.
On the other hand, some are egocentric. It's not so much the guts of the story but their notoriety for extremism that they strive for.

I've learned that there is a true relationship that can and should be formed with the reader.
The reader extends to you the courtesy of their time and tentative interest.
The writer owes it to the reader to be honest and genuine. And treat the reader with respect.
The writer needs to keep his or her promises to the reader. If you promise follow up, you need to follow up.
If you let the reader down, you decimate the true relationship. The reader learns that the writer can't be trusted and holds no integrity.
It's like dangling a carrot in front of the reader and never letting them have it, despite the promise that one day they'll have that carrot.
Investigative journalism can be gritty and sometimes even dangerous.
If the reporter is indeed on the trail of misconduct, shady happenings and secret scandal, there are those that don't wish the truth to be found out or presented for all to see.
If the revelations of the reporter aren't backed and supported by quantifiable proof, the article or piece ends up being nothing more than a painless jab at the subject.
The longer I write, the more I pay attention to other writers. And I wonder what makes them write.
In some cases it's clear. In others, you can't really be sure.
We all form opinions about the authors we read. Nicholas Sparks doesn't do it for me. Seriously. The last novel I read from Sparks angered me for days. I kept waiting for it to "get good". I was sure that soon I would get to the page where it would all become electric and interesting. It never happened.
Bland and unmoving. To the very end.
He's lost me for good.
No worries, though. He won't miss my dollars on his next novel and there are plenty of other authors for me to read.
My focus right now is on true crime and the impact it has on the victim's family.
It's a "slippery slope" to be sure. But having been able to interact with families of crime victims who have been in the position to see the evil that rained down on their lives, I am now looking at the work of those authors in a far more serious light.
I believe there is a duty owed to the families and the victim.
They deserve to have the truth presented, not skewed or swayed, even to make the victim look more or less than they were in life.
But above all else, their loved ones, families and lives should never be picked over for profit or sensation.
I'll reserve judgement on the upcoming book about the Roseboro murder trial.
Many are surprised at my position and opinion on this, given my love for writing.
I do not support all authors or their motives hands down, without review.
Many were offended by the offering of Mr. Phelps that he would champion Jan Roseboro's memory or character. That was clearly offensive. He never met her, and he'd never know her name had she not been brutally murdered and then cast into to the public limelight. She became a source of profit by publication.
It would be disingenuous to throw "championing" Jan Roseboro as a motive, to the masses, if it's not the truth.
What is wrong with stating that you simply want to tell the story?
The anger at his words came from him sounding rather vitriolic in his purpose. It was overkill, no pun intended.
Just write the book and save the speeches about why you're doing it.
There is a natural anger and resentment felt by loved ones when a stranger swoops down and feasts on their tragedy for profit or fame. Just ask anyone in that position.
The families feel as if the victim is being hurt all over again.
Keep your motives real and honest.
Those that wish to know the story as you have researched it and presented it, will read it.

There used to be such a sense of integrity and truth in the writing realm.
Now it's about dollars and traffic.
And anyone with a computer can call themselves a writer or a reporter. You don't need the credentials at the outset.
But you do have to prove yourself.
Don't mistake numbers and activity for readers respect and admiration. Some read just to see the latest trainwreck.
It's like listening to someone rant and scream endlessly about everything.
After a while, people will tune in just for the entertainment of hearing the noise. The content no longer matters.

What any writer needs to focus on is the truth. Whether it be in a novel, a web blog, a news article or a product review. Do your homework and above all else, keep your promises.
As a society, our attention span is dwindling fast. We can't keep focused on fluff or unkept promises.
If you truly deliver, they'll read and keep reading.
For all the right reasons.

Accountability and integrity need to matter as much as the profits. I refuse to believe there can't be a meeting of those facets.

Some who are far more knowledgeable about the Marian Baker case than I  have known from the start that the facts as presented, at least in the book by Richard Gehman aren't quite right. Some are far from the mark. Some don't hit the target in the least.

I've come to learn much about the book, "A Murder In Paradise" by Richard Gehman. What I've learned I've learned from some who know the facts better than anyone else in the world. Their knowledge is the actual truth.

It's not that well known how the book was written. Gehman didn't do much leg work.

He culled newspaper clippings, some files, actually using the help of friends and colleagues in Lancaster, rather than doing the grunt work himself. What resulted was a superficial and loosely written retelling of some facts, a presentation of erroneous information and the insertion of a mood of scandal and innuendo.

This wasn't a project to tell the truth.

It clearly wasn't a passion of Gehman's to do his own research, figure out the facts, examine the discrepancies and ultimately tell the whole story.

He left much ground uncovered.

He didn't do a disservice to Ed Gibbs.

Ed was far more than Gehman ever learned or shared. If he did learn the truth about Gibbs, apparently he didn't care to tell it.

Gehman did a huge disservice to Marian.

By playing hard and fast with the rules, and taking the lazy way out and having others do the leg work for him, he slighted her name and her reputation.

The book had no underlying purpose other than to earn money for Gehman and feed the preoccupation with the murder that most Lancastrians held.

It was a sure seller, at least in the relatively local market.

Some purchased the book simply to have a record of the local geographic ties.

Some wanted it because they knew some of the folks involved.

And some were true crime buffs.

If Gehman was going to write "the" book on the Marian Louise Baker murder, he owed it to everyone to do his homework and present the truth in a respectful and professional manner.

He skimmed the surface and published rumor, someone-who-knows-someone-told-me sort of stuff.

He didn't devote himself to the factual research that everyone deserved.

I'm curious to this day what process he used to determine what to include and what to ignore.

Surely, the publishers wanted to make money.

And scandal sells.

When you get down to the very bottom of it, he didn't have to write the book at all.

But being a Lancaster boy, I think, made this seem like an easy write.

The interest in the murder bordered on obsession. There was no question it would sell.

Add to that Gibb's refusal to provide any additional details other than his "impulse" claim and there you have it.

I hold authors to high standards. I trust that when they complete a piece, whether it be a short article or a lengthy novel, it's based on research done with integrity.

The smallest error in their published facts bothers me quite a bit.

If they get the basics wrong, the whole piece now is suspect to me.

Case in point......

Gehman wrote that the O'Donels, who raised Marian had younger daughters.

Completely wrong.

They had a daughter and a son.

That fact is basic and not integral to the facts of the murder.

But it's integral to the story.

What kind of research did Gehman do?

Apparently not much and most of it wasn't done very well.

His name in the publishing field doesn't impress me.

Simply because he had written and been published before affords him no freebies with me.

It shouldn't have with anyone.

But the fact that he cared so little about some of the simple facts taints his work.

To him, Marian's foster siblings weren't important. But they were important to the family, to those who loved Marian.

That error alone tells me all I need to know about Richard Gehman.

He simply didn't care.

It's been rumored and published that he did have a clear problem with alcohol. I have no idea what role that could have played in his publishing of incorrect content.

I can only imagine how Marian's friends and family would have felt, reading or hearing about Gehman's sloppy presentation of the facts surrounding the worst thing that ever happened to them.

It would make some feel as if they were raped and pillaged after Marian endured the bludgeoning by Ed Gibbs.

I have been told that Marian's brother, Ross, had extremely strong feelings about the book.

He saw it as nothing more than a salacious and sleazy attempt to sensationalize the murder and therefore increase the profits.

Gehman dabbled in the lives of all involved. And did it with carelessness and a lack of empathy.

He should have left it alone if he truly didn't care enough to present the truth and accurate facts.

I want to know how long it took him to write the book, from start to finish, including the time it took his friends to do the actual digging and research.

His thanks to them in the book represents more than it seems.

Without their legwork there would have been no book.

Gehman certainly didn't put the time or effort into it to make sure it was a complete and honorable work.

I'm going to go back to 'square one' with the case.

There are far too many errors published and accepted as fact.

And if I'm going to tell the truth about Marian Louise Baker, her life and her death, there is no way she's going to be victimized again. Not by me.

I can't control the facts. They are what they are.

But her story, up to the time of her death, is beautiful!

It's filled with family and love and laughter. Yes, there were hurts and tears. No doubt about that. But how the family handled the painful phases of life with faith, dignity and love is a testament to what this family was and is made of.

To this day, there are those who wish to have the world know the real Marian.

She was shortchanged in the saddest of ways after her death. And it was done for profit, with carelessness.

This family still cares. And this family still loves Marian.

Words are cheap. Actions truly do speak louder than words.

Marian was never forgotten and never minimized by her loved ones.

And to this day, they care that the real girl gets her day.

And I'll do all I can to make sure that happens :)

Three Trips To The Harnish Cottage and The Hidden Clothing

Ed Gibbs made three distinct trips to the Harnish cottage in West Lampeter Township on January 10, 1950, if he is to be believed. It's already clear that Ed Gibbs lied about much surrounding the events leading up to and including the murder of Marian Louise Baker.
It's difficult to determine if he injected any truth to his statement about his activities after the murder.
His first trip to the cottage was with Marian in his car. He killed her there.
After bludgeoning her to death, he dragged her body down by a garbage dump on the property after having tossed her pocketbook a short distance from where he had killed her. He then got back in his car and drove back to the F & M campus.
He claims he then got undressed, took a shower and returned to his room to get dressed.
He took his coat, sweater and socks and placed them on the backseat of his car and drove back to the Harnish cottage. Gibbs admitted that the coat, sweater and socks were bloody and that is why he wished to dispose of them.
When he got to the Harnish cottage on trip number two, he picked up her purse and left the scene, driving out toward Maple Grove. Behind Maple Grove, the threw the lug wrench, his socks, his sweater and coat as well as Marian's umbrella into the stream. He then got back in his car and returned to the college again.
He picked his wife up at Armstrong Cork Company at the end of her shift .
At 7:30 pm that same night, he took a shovel from the basement of East Hall and drove back out to where Marian's body remained. This would be the third trip to the Harnish cottage.
He claims he took the shovel with him to dig a grave but the many roots prevented him from doing so.
He dragged Marian to the excavation under the cottage, covered her with corrugated tin and a saw horse, scattering leaves around the area and lastly placing the incinerator at the spot where he hid Marian's body.
He then drove to Stump's Service Station and disposed of Marian's rings. He didn't return to the scene of the crime after that he says.
The next day, though, he went back to Maple Grove and grabbed the jacket out of the stream where it was still floating.
On Gibbs' last trip to the cottage the night he killed her, in the dark of night, with a flashlight he purchased on South Prince Street enroute, he removed rings from Marian's fingers but claimed he didn't know why he did so.
After his confession, Gibbs accompanied the police to the attic of East Hall on the F & M campus and showed them where he had hidden his bloody clothes. They found his brown corduroy jacket and his sweater. The socks weren't located at that time. So far, I don't know if they were found later or not.
The complete transcript may tell me that.
The next morning, the authorities were able to locate Marian's purse, the lug wrench and the umbrella, or what was left of it after Gibbs had broken and bent it to make it easier to dispose of.

It strikes me as extremely remarkable that Gibbs not only returned to the murder scene once, but three times.
Three times within less than twenty four hours of killing Marian.

Marian and Nancy Stonesifer had a good laugh when Marian had returned from lunch at the college cafeteria. Marian was rushed, sitting at her desk without removing her coat and realized she had forgotten her umbrella. Much like myself, apparently Marian had quite a habit of losing or forgetting umbrellas! :)
She must have gone back for it. It was with her when Ed Gibbs killed her.
I am now curious as to where Ed Gibbs was when Marian went back for her umbrella.
She took the CTC bus from the corner of College and James Streets. The Sigma Pi house was on James Street. I don't know exactly where. But I wonder if Ed had encountered Marian or spoke briefly with her, knowing that she was headed downtown.
Why did Ed Gibbs tell another student that he had driven Marian downtown that day?
That statement still makes no sense.

My biggest question tonight is this.
Ed Gibbs claimed that he remembered nothing except reaching over to choke Marian, chasing her and continuing to choke her. What he related after that point he claims he had to surmise because he had no memory of it, but came to conclusions based on what he saw when he "came to".
He said that he must have hit her with the lug wrench because of all the blood and the lug wrench in his hand.
He had blood on his jacket, his sweater and his socks. So much blood that he needed to get out of them, get a shower and then dispose of them.
If there is blood flowing to the extent that it greatly covers a jacket, the sweater under the jacket and your socks, how do you NOT get blood all over your trousers or pants?
Not once was Gibbs trousers or pants mentioned.
Again, the official transcript may clear that up. But nowhere, to date, are his trousers even mentioned.
Given that he probably had his shoes on, how much of his socks were exposed? How much was covered by his pant legs?
If Ed Gibbs had trousers on, the blood would have been prevented from soaking his socks by his trouser legs.
Did he scrub his shoes? No mention of them appears anywhere either.
He mentioned that on the second trip to the Harnish cottage, he had taken a towel with him to clean the handle of the inoperative pump on the property. After killing Marian he tried to pump water to wash his bloody hands but was unsuccessful. Worried that his fingerprints could be taken from the handle, he made sure to clean it with the towel.
He never wavered in his story of having choked her, then getting the keys out of the ignition of his car, going to the trunk, grabbing the lug wrench and then "apparently" beating Marian to death.
The autopsy didn't reveal much severe damage to the structures of her throat or trachea.
And if she was at least unconscious from the choking, giving him time to walk to his car, get the keys, go to the trunk, grab the lug wrench, then how did she receive the wounds to the different locations of her head?
The largest wounds weren't in the same anatomical location or region of the skull. One was right frontal, the other left parietal. The left parietal wound extended into and through the ear canal. The force used was monstrous.
She wasn't unconscious enough to be rendered immobile. And he certainly didn't have the opportunity to just saunter to the car for the keys and the lug wrench. Marian wasn't immobilized when he struck her with the lug wrench. Her wounds tell that clearly and unequivocally. In a murderous rage, the killer doesn't lay the weapon down, turn the victim's head to the side and then resume the beating.
Marian sustained other injuries. I will confirm that when I view the photos from the crime scene and the autopsy.
I in no way wish to upset her loved ones with my frank discussion of the physicality of the attack. It is just extremely important to finally understand what Ed Gibbs really did to Marian that day. He lied throughout the trial, even to his own attorney.
The quotes attributed to Hense Brown are confusing. He was sure Ed wasn't telling the whole story.
Clearly. Brown saw the photos and read the report. He KNEW Ed wasn't telling the whole story.
Several people knew that to be a fact. Brown had caught him in several lies.
How and why that was never entered into the court proceedings is an issue unto itself. We'll cover that later.
It is vital to understanding how very innocent Marian Baker was in the progression of events that day.
The lies started when Ed Gibbs offered her a ride. And he stuck to his lies to the bitter end.
He took her life, he helped take a bit of her reputation and he took the truth with him.
Marian deserves that the truth be told, finally.
I can't help but feel that the timing here is significant.
There is a time for everything. And perhaps there were factors in place, people still loving and missing Marian so over the past sixty years that it just wasn't the time for the truth to be told just yet, in the way that it needs to be told. I'm sure no one who ever knew her or loved her wanted the lies and innuendoes to go on; it just hurt so much to delve into it again.
Marian deserves the truth. And she deserves to have the respect that she was shown when she was alive.
Those who really knew her, loved her, worked with her and spent any time with her knew the real Marian.
She was meticulous, witty, funny, caring and a lady.
Those who knew her knew the truth.
It's sad that because of what was done to her, in the societal time in which it occurred, she was presented in a questionable light. And the pain and frustration of having to live with those undeserved rumors and a sullied reputation has to come to an end. And the truth will do that. It will finally show everyone, especially those who never had the privilege or honor of knowing her, just what Marian Baker was made of.
Marian was "good stuff". She still is :)

Edward Lester Gibbs Circa 1949

Edward Lester Gibbs in 1949 at F & M.
Married two years to the former Helen Woodward, his academic record was spiraling fast and so was his marriage.
The very idea of dropping out of school to get a job was completely unacceptable to his parents, Joseph Lester and Florence Gibbs.

Further Clarification To Answer Several Readers' Questions

I'll keep this brief.
The moment I read the comment sent to me by a person claiming to have had meetings with Mike Roseboro, in a pay-for-sexual behaviors setting, I called the District Attorney's Office in Lancaster, PA. The person who sent the comment claims to be a minor.
I was immediately transferred to one of the County Detectives and we spoke.
Per mutual arrangement, we spoke again later that afternoon.
I emailed all information and links to him directly and told him everything I know about the person who sent the comment and information.
He is aware that I will be completely forthcoming should I learn anything further or have any additional information even remotely related to this situation.
The possibility that a minor child was indeed molested by a pedophile, no matter who it may be, warranted my immediate attention and action.
I again thank the DA's Office and the County Detective. Extremely professional, he was thorough and prompt in his attention to the matter.
I will post this again clearly.
I have no independent knowledge about the person making the comment or the truthfulness of the comments posted. That is for the DA's Office and the County Detective to handle.
I will not comment on this or discuss it in any manner.
I have no doubt that the DA and the County Detectives will handle this thoroughly, one way or the other.

Current Synopsis of the Research/Progress In The Marian Baker Story

Marian Baker is so much more than a young woman who was brutally murdered in Lancaster County in 1950. That has always been evident but is becoming so much clearer as the days go by.
What started as my unsettling questions, for almost all of my life, has now turned into a clear understanding that it is not just the facts surrounding the case that need clarification and explanation.
Marian Baker was ill used by the press and the media. It began as soon as she was reported missing and the investigation began.
Marian Louise Baker was on an errand in downtown Lancaster. She was on her errand as part of her job at F & M. She was a happy young woman, engaged to be married and excited over picking her engagement ring up at Kay's and then having her hair done later that afternoon.
She accepted the offer of a ride back to campus.
Ed Gibbs spun a quick tale and headed south on Prince Street.
What he testified to as the conversation in the car as they headed away from the campus, not toward it, is a lie.
Marian Baker was rushed with work and said so earlier in the day.
Immediately prior to leaving for downtown to go to the bank, the post office, and Kay Jewelers, she told Nancy Stonesifer that she was so rushed with work all of a sudden that she was worried she'd miss her five-thirty p.m. hair appointment.
She was so excited about that appointment that she told one of the women she saw during her errands that she wouldn't recognize her the next day, due to having her hair done.
Tuesday, January 10, 1950 was a gray, cold day. By accepting Ed Gibbs' offer of a ride back to campus she could save time. Taking the bus back would have taken longer.
Ed Gibbs didn't count on Nancy Stonesifer's recollection of the comment made by Marian as she sat down right after lunch, at her desk, not even taking the time to remove her coat as she got ready to head downtown.
Ed Gibbs lied about the ride down Prince Street.
Why he wasn't questioned about the earlier mind set of Marian about being rushed confuses me.
It has always been portrayed that Marian quite willingly headed back to the Harnish cottage without question. That is incorrect.
Marian wasn't interested in a joy ride. She wasn't interested in seeing the scenery.
She wanted to get back to campus, get her work done quickly and keep her five thirty hair appointment.
What did Ed Gibbs suddenly come up with to keep Marian calm as he headed down Prince Street?
He never told a soul.
But he lied to her. And he lied to everyone else about those facts.
Marian was a lady. And I'm sure she would have kept her frustration to herself as she probably checked her wristwatch, calculating the time she would have left to get her duties done and still keep her appointment.
Marian treated everyone with respect. Even Ed Gibbs.
Ed had no idea that Marian had told Nancy Stonesifer that his continual chatter about himself made her sick.
If he had maybe he would have had second thoughts about picking her up in front of the Lancaster Post Office that day. Knowing that she wasn't impressed with his false face and false persona, maybe he would have grunted in dismissal and kept on walking.
But Marian wasn't only respectful and a lady, she was kind.
And being rushed, she thought that a ride back to the campus was a great plan.
Ed Gibbs made up a lie and made Marian believe that this was temporary detour.
I'm sure she was a bit less than happy at the sudden change in route.
What makes my blood run cold is thinking about the point in time when she began to become afraid.
I'm sure she experienced what we all would in that circumstance. She probably told herself she was being silly. There really was nothing to be afraid of.
That little twinge in her stomach when things didn't feel quite right...
How surreal it all became in a hurry.
I believe to the very end she couldn't believe it was actually happening to her.
The truths about Ed Gibbs haven't been made public.
There are many.
I have no idea why the DA never pounced on the discrepancies in testimony.
Yes, he had the confession. He had what he believed, from the beginning, an air tight case.
But why not reveal some more truths about Ed Gibbs?
By revealing those truths would have removed the innuendo from Marian Baker.
Marian Baker never once entertained the thought of going to any remote wooded area with Ed Gibbs. She truly wasn't that kind of girl.
And THAT should have been part of the official record.
There are many wrongs to be righted in Marian's defense.
Ed Gibbs was a complete and total liar.
He killed Marian. And by his hands he helped the media and press to tarnish her character.
And that will not stand.

Let Them To Their Grief and Their Lives

I don't always like to use pictures or graphics but today they serve a real purpose. Above is a shot of the State Prison at Camp Hill.

This is another view of SCI at Camp Hill. It's a very real place.

This cemetery is like most that we have all gone to, to say goodbye to loved ones, to place flowers or momentos. We leave a piece of ourselves there. As hard as the related churches and caretakers try to make them beautiful final resting places, there is nothing pretty about a cemetery. It represents a broken heart, broken dreams, lives unfulfilled or long lives ended. Sometimes, it represents an evil slap across the heart of those who have had someone dear to them brutally and ruthlessly ripped from them.


Lately, I've been extremely focused on my research into the Marian Baker murder and Marian's story, in particular. It's been a little while since I have been moved to provide commentary, but today it's needed.
As I posted a few days ago, there is so much loss surrounding the Roseboro murder. There are no winners and never will be. The State of Pennsylvania is not a winner, nor are the residents of that state. Jan Roseboro's family didn't win with the verdict in the trial.
Jan is dead. That will never change, no matter the verdict or sentence imposed. Even the death penalty will never right the wrongs.
The State of Pennsylvania, in the person of DA Steadman and his team did what we all hope they will do for each and every one of us should we find ourselves in the horrible tragedy that Jan Roseboro found herself in, for absolutely no reason or provocation on her part. She was an innocent heart who lost it all.
Her children lost their Mom. Her sister and brother lost their loved sibling. Her friends lost so much as well.
It's only natural that society as a whole pays close attention to crimes such as this. We all did. Some of us have freely shared our steadfast opinions about all the players involved in the crime and the filthy affair that led to Jan's death.
As the months passed leading up to the trial, there were times I wondered if it was becoming harder and harder for some folks to remember that this isn't a movie or a tv drama.
This happened to real people. No different than you and I. Yes, their decisions may not be what we believe we would have ever chosen, under any circumstances. But Jan was one of us.
And for all intents and purposes, so was Mike Roseboro.
It became easy for many to get so caught up in the trial and the ponderings of the strategy the defense would use, the sleazy and cheesy scandal as it grew and grew and of course, the progressing pregnancy of Mike and Angie's child.
The trial is over. The sentence has been handed down. The appeal is a natural and expected result.
It's much like the hours or days after the funeral of a loved one.
In the instant of the loss, there are visitors, casseroles of food, phone calls.... but after the loved one is laid to rest, it slowly gets quiet. The chaos and furor that naturally occur when someone dies, naturally settles down and those left behind are left staring at their empty hands wondering what to do next.
After the trial and the sentence pronouncement, it got very quiet for those left behind by Jan Roseboro.
In the sigh of relief, there is a deafening silence.
So it is for the Roseboro family.
Their daughter-in-law died at the hands of their only son.
Their grandchildren are without a mother.
And they are without one of their children.
If we aren't careful we can all lose sight of the reality of what everyone who is so closely related to Jan and Mike is going through.
This is still not a movie. It is not a television docudrama.
Hence, my need to post pictures.
I wonder how many people truly have thought of what it's like to wake up in Camp Hill or even the Lancaster County Prison knowing that you will never, ever be able to choose what you will do in the next few minutes, never be able to come and go as you please, never have your freedom ever again?
Yes, Mike chose his actions and that is his loss. But it's sobering nonetheless.
He hasn't won a thing. He's lost it all.
There is a sadness for his life lost as well. He lost a life with his children, his family and his parents.
He's paying the price. Enough said.
Is it really necessary to pick over those bones day after day after day?
I would understand it better if the people ripping and tearing at the Roseboro case relentlessly were actually connected to the family. Some have never ever laid eyes on any member of the Roseboro family, let alone ever spoken to them. What vested interest do you really have?
Even Jan's own sister, who has lost so very much, hasn't been dancing with glee over the trial and the result, nor has she ranted and railed against the man who took her dear sister's life in the most heinous of ways?
With no true and honest tie to anyone involved in the family or the case, why can't it just be left alone?
From a Mom's point of view, my heart is broken for Jan. She isn't here in the physical sense to hold her children or watch them grow up.
They will never fill that hole in their lives.
From the same point of view, my heart is broken for Mr. and Mrs. Roseboro.
They did nothing wrong. They loved their children and they raised them well.
They have been fine people for as long as I or anyone in my family can remember. I have had many opportunities to interact with Ralph especially and I can't imagine how he is making it day to day with the burden he now bears.
Ann Roseboro has a son. She held him as a newborn, she rocked him when he cried.
And now, when he is hurt or cold or scared, she can't help him.
For God's sake, give these people a rest.
This is not a movie. This is not a television show.
It wasn't created for anyone's entertainment.
And during the early days after the crime and even for the duration of the trial, interest, even by total strangers made some sense.
But it's over.
Aren't we the lucky ones?
We can move on to the next "big thing".
We can go to bed tonight knowing that we can hug our sons in the morning.
And if they have a problem, they can sit across the kitchen table from us and talk to us.
And if the mood hits us, we can hug the heck out of them just because we love them.
The Roseboro's don't need anyone's permission to love Mike.
They don't need anyone's permission to do anything.
They do deserve the respect of everyone to let them to their grief and their loss and their lives.
What more is there to gain by keeping a circus atmosphere going in reference to their lives?
People are appearing gleeful and joking in talking about the very worst thing that could have happened to the Roseboro family.
Yes, Mike was convicted. But all the words slung at him hit his Mother first.
Does anyone understand that?
Or is keeping this circus going because it's the only thing that creates enough traffic that important?
Not one Mom I've spoken with has been able to not think about Ann Roseboro.
Many think of Missy too. She has lost her brother and her "normal" life just as they all have.
These people did nothing wrong and yet they have lost so much too.
Catastrophe happened to them. It was the result of choices made by their son.
But now that the State of Pennsylvania has taken care of it for all of us, isn't it time to show them some respect and let it be?
The giggles and "I know something else!" innuendoes are sickening and ridiculous.
The loudest gigglers and those who intimate the most often that they know more are the ones who know the least and have never ever met one Roseboro family member.
For any of you with a son, think about it.
I'm sure you would hate what he did, if you could even begin to allow yourself to believe that he did do it. But you can't stop loving your child. Not if you're any kind of Mom.
News flash!!!
DA Steadman and the State of Pennsylvania and the jury took care of business.
So if the relentless interest was solely because you are so very worried about justice and the scales being balanced, they got it!
I can hear a policeman in my head..."Move along folks! There's nothing else to see here!"
Literally.
This isn't a movie. These people are real.
Let them to their grief and their loss.
Stop causing them more pain.
Especially when it's steeped in nothing more than a desire to keep the entertainment going.
Show the Roseboro family some respect.

And when you do, you'll also allow Jan's children and family to deal with their grief and loss too.
Bashing Mike and ridiculing him hurts his children.
One day, as fully grown adults, they can read the court transcripts, the records and pour over the files and make up their own minds.
And even if they decide that they believe he did kill their Mom, he is their Dad.
They are allowed to love him.

It may be hard to grasp, but even the family of victims are impacted by relentless coverage and bashing of the convicted. It doesn't allow anyone the peace to try to move on.
They are the ones with the holes in their heart. If they aren't screaming everyday about their pain, then who on earth are we to keep shoving it under their noses? Especially for motives that are less than exemplary.
Jan's family wants to give the children the best life possible under the circumstances. They need to be able to just live. They don't need to know that total strangers, who mean nothing to them and their lives with their Mom, are having a field day trashing their Dad or rehashing the horrible facts and pain that tore their lives apart.

They wish to be left alone.
They wish to have their privacy back.
Mike's crime and conviction didn't take that from them. Well, it shouldn't have.
It's time for people to show some good sense and compassion and let these people alone.
They are dying inside while strangers are making jokes.
Put yourself in their shoes for just one moment and try to imagine how it feels.
Especially those of us with sons.
And even those of us with daughters.
Jan's children deserve peace. And trashing their Dad repeatedly hurts them.
And as I said, they don't need anyone's permission to love him.
Stop feeding on the tragedy of these families.
They need for you to stop.
Let them to their lives now.
Please.