Murder In Lancaster County

Please Help To Locate This Young Girl

2011-07-13T10:47:00.000-04:00

OCEAN CITY, Md. - Ocean City Police are asking for the public's help in locating a missing teen.

Police say 15-year-old Tabitha Williams was reported missing to the Ocean City Police Department on June 28. Williams lives in California, but police say she was in Ocean City for a vacation. Williams was reported missing by her foster mother. Police say she may be attempting to travel back to California. Anyone with information should call police at 410-520-5349.

Deciding To Post A Comment

2011-07-01T18:25:00.000-04:00

I hesitated to post a comment that I recently received here in hopes that I could confirm the info it contained. I've asked several times for the commenter to contact me at any one of several email addresses but have yet to hear from her. I would love to post it but in the interest of fairness and fact I will wait a while longer. In the comment she asked me to contact her but failed to leave any way to do so.

To the daughter of the juror,
Please contact me so that we can speak. I sincerely would love to hear what you have to say but have no way to reach you. Your post did not include any contact information.
As much as I want to rely on what you have shared so far, I have to be able to verify that you are sharing accurate and factual information before I post any additional information.
Thanks! Suze

Update From F&M Regarding The Portrait

2011-06-27T15:16:00.001-04:00

Hi Ms. Weik,

I have forwarded your inquiry to archives and special collections a couple of weeks ago and am waiting to hear back from them as to whether or not they have any information or the photo. Traditionally such photos have been kept in archives. Unfortunately, the time period you are talking about predates the existence of this museum and even the period prior to collections committee which predated the museum for several decades. We have very limited records regarding this time period as objects were generally cared for by the departments that held them. To date, I have not run into any records related to this portrait and have not seen it in the museum's collection storage areas. We are in the process of finishing a current inventory and should I find anything that is connected to the photo/portrait, I will let you.

I'm sorry that I don't have any information at this time.

Sincerely,
Maureen Lane
Collections Manager
The Phillips Museum of Art

Still Pursuing The Portrait/Photograph Of Marian

2011-06-21T13:15:00.000-04:00

I am again awaiting information from the curator at F & M regarding the portrait of Marian that hung in East Hall when the Administrative Offices were relocated there. Upon demolition the location of that portrait became a mystery at least to her family and friends.
I always cringe when I think of where it was hanging. East Hall. The married students' housing where Ed Gibbs had lived with his wife, Helen. Where he hid his bloody clothes under the attic floor boards. From where he glanced out of the window, seeing the law enforcement officers eyeing his car. The building he tore out of in a panic, racing to the office where he breathlessly uttered his confession first.
I am still waiting to hear from a commenter who asked me to contact her. I have no contact info for you but would love to speak with you. Hopefully I will hear from you again soon.

A Reminder About Contacts, Information and Questions

2011-06-20T12:40:00.000-04:00

I thought it was timely to remind everyone that you may contact me at any time at any of my email addresses such as:
s.weik@mchsi.com

PAGirlAtTheBeach@aol.com

s.weik@live.com

nograyareaforme@gmail.com

As has always been the case, any information we exchange, any discussions we may have remain private until or unless I receive express permission to share it or publish it. Names and personal information are NOT shared with the readers.
Some unique and special circumstances have kept me from blogging here for a while but my research continues.

I also wanted to remind the readers that the book about the case, "A Murder In Paradise" is not a totally accurate or factual retelling of the story. Mr.Gehman exercised lazy authorship and produced most of his book from newspaper clippings and information funneled to him by friends at the Lancaster Newspapers. I have revealed more than a few mistakes in his book and there are more I'm sure. It is a starting point, but is not to be taken as a documentary fact sheet for the case or for information about anyone involved in the tragedy.

I also have determined through hours and miles of research that Edward Lester Gibbs did indeed murder Marian Louise Baker. No one else committed the act nor did they participate in any way.

Thank you all for your patience.

To Joie! Please Email Me With A Way To Contact You

2011-06-20T12:06:00.002-04:00

Joie, I just received your comment and I am holding off on publishing it until after we speak. Please email me at s.weik@mchsi.com or PAGirlAtTheBeach@aol.com with a way to contact you. I am extremely interested in talking with you and your mother.

Obituary of Thelma Mae Weaver

2011-05-26T10:01:00.000-04:00

Obituary of Thelma Mae Weaver

I bet she and Marian are having a great time getting all caught up :) I can hear the laughter and see the hugs :)

Some Crime Scene Photographs: It Really IS Real, Isnt It?

2011-05-22T20:31:00.000-04:00

These photographs are chilling. They take you to the scene where Marian lost her fight and her battle for her life. Gibbs showed the authorities where he struck her with the lug wrench, where he choked her additionally, where he attempted to wash her blood off of his hands and ultimately where he tried to dig a grave when he returned to the Harnish cottage later that night. There were several trips. Attempting to bury Marian was only one of his purposes.

Commentary on 'the book'.....

2011-03-18T09:24:00.000-04:00

The book dealing with the murder of Jan Roseboro has been released.
I have yet to purchase it and I have no plans to. It is nothing more than a vehicle for profit. That, in itself, is not a crime or a sin. But it serves no good purpose. It offers no healing. It offers no explanation. And it surely doesn't right any wrongs.

The vulturous who have waited for the release hoping to see a slight reference to themselves have been disappointed. Their panning of the tome reveals that and their indignation over being ignored.

We can only hope that now that carcass of the crime is so dry and decaying that the bloodsuckers will finally just let it be.
A beautiful Mom is dead.
A Dad was targeted by a gold digger and paid more than the ultimate price. He destroyed lives left and right.
Children have had their lives ripped and destroyed.
A poor little boy will live his life burdened by the salacious and disgusting acts of his parents, fighting for a sense of self worth.

All we can pray for is for the world to leave that little boy alone, to live a life designed by goodness and purpose.
All involved have been picked over long enough. Let them be.
The frustration that many feel about the gold digger will have to be given up to the Powers That Be.
She hasn't lost her children, her home or her life. She walks the streets smiling.
I can't imagine a person who should fear the afterlife more than she should.

Her partner is paying a paltry penance by being incarcerated for the rest of his life.
His due is far from done.
But she's going to have to stand accountable for what she's done. And being an innocent bystander is not it.
She spotted her mark, she made herself easily available and she bedded him.
And lives were destroyed.

The book is as 'icky' as the rest of the affair and murder.
And it's time to just let it go and let hearts try to heal enough to salvage the rest of their lives.

Tethers To The Past

2011-03-18T09:13:00.000-04:00

I'm almost redundant in saying it's been a long time.
Family, work and health issues have kept my attention elsewhere a good portion of the last several months but Marian's story is never too far from my mind.
I was fortunate to hear from a long distance friend this week who graciously sent me some photos that they found relating to the case. I will be posting them here soon.
The weather is changing a bit, and with that change will come yet another roadtrip back home. I have much research to do, people to meet up with, records to review. I have sites to physically visit. Hopefully I will be able to gain access without a legal problem.
I do have to mention that I approach all sources and sites with absolute respect. I never want to be invasive or thoughtless. This story is about a woman who conducted herself with respect and that's how the research into her life and experiences has to be carried out
This is a stunning season in Lancaster County. As it is in New Bloomfield and even Pitman, New Jersey.
I'm so anxious to get on the road.....

A Synopsis of The Events As We Know Them or Have Been Told They Occurred

2010-11-05T17:15:00.000-04:00

It's been a very long time since I was able to work on the files related to the life and death of Marian Louise Baker. Frustration isn't even an adequate word....Work, family obligations and life in general have a way of overtaking my free time and before I know it, months have again passed.

I apologize to those who are due email responses, as well as to those who I have yet to meet, meet up with again, or spend hours with. I had no idea in any real sense just how difficult it would be to do this work while living so far away. Prior to my posting about Marian's murder, there was nothing available on the world wide web. Nothing. I admit to feeling rather proud that at least now some information is out there, as well as authentic photos and reproductions of selected newspaper articles. It has always been important to me that her story not be forgotten and never just fade away from history. Her life and her essence mattered. It matters to this day.
I have to say this again: At no time have I ever considered violating anyone's peace or privacy. As much as I have wanted to learn more from people who clearly know the facts of the time, I have refrained from making contact and will continue to do so. At no time would I ever cause pain or heartache to anyone, especially those souls who have already suffered so much.
My 'right' to the facts, or that of the general public pales in comparison. I could never justify hurting an innocent person by making them revisit the heartache simply because 'inquiring mind want to know'.
Setting the record straight or correcting erroneous publications is a horse of a different color. That is the purpose of my work on Marian's behalf.. The public needs to know the truth about her. Not the truth that was alluded to by Richard Gehman or the press.
To date, all of the information I have and/or have shared was given to me freely or is a result of my years of research. I have never posted or published any information or photos without the express permission of the source. That integrity and truth is vitally important to me.
Other authors have acted as vultures, picking over the bones and broken hearts to gain notoriety or profits. How sad. I couldn't sleep at night if I acted on those premises.
I am fully aware that simply bringing this all up again is painful for some people. I empathize with them. But the goal is to tell the truth about a young woman who was full of light and laughter, who never acted in any way that would make her even slightly responsible for her horrible death.
I am also completely aware that there were many victims in this tragedy. Many lives stopped on a dime back then and have in some cases, resumed with the scars in place but tolerable .
Some think it should be easy to hate Ed Gibbs. I in no way excuse his heinous behavior but if you look at his life, from the moment of his birth, he was a loaded cannon. And Marian Baker paid the ultimate price.
Ed's family suffered, although it seems that his mother was able to compartmentalize her feelings and thoughts about her son and went on as if he had simply died of a disease. His father passed years ahead of his mother. The crime of the son was the nail in his coffin.
Ed's wife and her family were victims as well. They were fine folks who never saw this coming. And once their world exploded, they did what fine people do. They continue to live with dignity and respect. But they stand straight and they go on.
Marian's family in Conestoga was forever changed. Her brother Ross lived each day thinking of her. They went on, putting one foot in front of the other, but they carried the lump in their chest each day.
Her fiance Edgar Rankin lived on. A good man who had such high hopes for a life with Marian, he went on also with respect and dignity.
Marian's relatives in the New Bloomfield area are very much a family. Family history and bonds are as important today as they were then.
I do have to say that Marian's birth mother was disconnected from early on and remained that way. That is a tragic part of Marian and Ross's life, although Ross never, ever disrespected his biological mother, although raised by a maternal aunt. Marian was raised also by a maternal aunt, her Aunt Ally ODonel. Despite being raised in separate households, by different aunts, in different counties, the tie between Ross and Marian lived on. I firmly believe that bond is alive and well today and they are happily together.
Out of the research of this horrific tragedy has come knowledge of goodness. The people that loved Marian and Ed are the goodness. Each person had and has worth. We all make mistakes, we all make missteps. Some of our own accord, some are dropped on us out of the blue, like a net.
Time is of the essence. Many folks still remain who knew Marian or Ed or their friends and family. Some have passed. But the totality of the story needs to be set down, finally, for all to read and learn.
With the crime rate at its current level all over the country, and brutality now appearing on our television sets daily, it is easy sometimes to forget just how this crime affected Lancaster city, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and surrounding states. In a way, it was the end of Camelot for Lancaster County. Yes, other murders had occurred. Other crimes had been published in the papers. But this tragedy grabbed people by the heart. Marian Baker could have been any one of us. She could have been you or I, or our sister or best friend. Ed Gibbs could have been any one of us. He could have been our brother or cousin or friend.
This one hit home more so than any other murder in the area.
People woke up feeling differently after Marian's body was found. It was the end of an era.

A very brief review:

Marian Baker was being raised by her aunt and uncle in Conestoga, PA. Raised in a Christian household, she was loved. She was also a good girl. And well liked. Her birth parents were from the New Bloomfield area. She missed that area when she lived in Conestoga, and especially missed her brother Ross who still lived back there.
She graduated from Penn Manor and not long after accepted a job as a cashier at Franklin and Marshall College, working for Mr. Mylin, who was also a summer neighbor of Marian's in Conestoga. She was well liked at the college and she loved the college right back. She loved her job and was meticulous in her work.
She dated and eventually became engaged to Edgar Rankin. No date had yet been set for the wedding but her dreams of being a wife and a mother were firmly in place. Edgar proposed to Marian and gave her an engagement ring at Christmas. Less than a month later, Marian was reported missing. Failing to arrive for work, it was clear from the start that something was very, very wrong. Marian's character didn't allow for her to simply not let anyone know where she was or to be late for work.

A young man who attended Franklin and Marshall, Ed Gibbs was from Pitman, New Jersey. He was the only son of Joseph Lester and Florence L. Saqui Gibbs of 48 North Oak. His family was prominent and he was the pride and joy of not only his parents but the Gibbs uncles as well. His one uncle was the mayor of Pitman.
Ed Gibbs had served in the military and then was accepted into Franklin and Marshall. He was failing his subjects, repeatedly, wished to leave school to gain a job but was told that was not an option by his parents who were very much involved in his life.
He married Helen Woodward from Sewell, New Jersey in a beautiful, society wedding that was the talk of the town. She was beautiful young woman from a fine family and had a very positive effect on Ed. She seemed to center him, to calm him down a bit. He was 'high strung', as was his mother. Those who saw them said it was clear that they were very much in love. Helen wanted to have a baby, badly but their financial situation was tight at best and Ed wanted to quit school and get a job that he liked. Helen agreed that he needed to finish school. With his grades and unexplained willingness to do the work involved, graduating was not on the horizon for Ed. Ed lived to be liked, to be accepted and to be a source of pride for his parents and family.
Over the Christmas break, Ed vaguely hinted that he would not be graduating. His mother had a fit so he lied and said he was just kidding. The chain clicked tighter. He knew he was failing and he would be a source of shame for his parents. He felt inadequate in the way he was providing for his wife. Their room in East Hall, on campus was bleak and dreary. It was one room. Helen worked at Armstrong Cork Co. (later it would become Armstrong World Industries) to help with their bills. As many do, Helen believed that having a baby would fix things. Ed was getting hit from all angles. He had, in the past, been described as a 'wolf', flirting and being inappropriate with other women. His attempt to avoid pregnancy led to some abnormalities in his marital sexual behaviors as well.

Marian knew Ed Gibbs. He often came into the office to cash checks, make payments and such. He chattered on and on with Marian. She was alwasy polite but was quoted by her co-worked, Mrs. Stonesifer as saying that Ed's continual chatter about himself made her "sick". Given that Marian was pretty young woman, it is easy to assume that Ed was flirtatious with her as well. He saw himself as the real bon vivant.

One of Marian's duties was to take checks to the bank for deposit and also to take outgoing mail to the post office on Chestnut Street. After her lunch on Tuesday, January 10th, 1950, Marian took a Conestoga Traction Company bus downtown. She visited Kay Jewelers where she picked up her precious engagement ring, which needed the stone more securely fastened in the bezel. She also made the bank deposit and then headed toward the post office. En route, she encountered Ed Gibbs who was downtown with a friend, John George, hoping to see a movie. Mr. George was at a movie house at that time. Ed claimed to his friend that he didn't have time to see the movie since he had to pick his wife up at Armstrong at 5 pm. The movie they intended to see had been pulled for being 'racy' and the substitute film had a later start time. Ed asked Marian if she was going back to the college campus. She said that she was, after she mailed a letter at the post office.
Gibbs offered to drive her back to the school. Marian continued on to the post office and when she exited, Ed was waiting on Chestnut Street. She crossed over and got in the passenger seat. He then asked her if she had to get right back to the college.
Despite testimony later at the trial that she had claimed to be 'swamped' with work, Ed claims that she said she didn't need to return to the school immediately. So when he stopped at the light at Chestnut and South Prince Street, he made a left and headed south instead of driving in the general direction of the school.
It was a cold, gray January day. Someone who knew Marian very well has shared that they believe that that is why she accepted the offer of a ride. Given the weather, and her comment about being so busy with work, she thought it would be quicker to get back to the campus if she rode with Ed, rather than catch the bus back.
The ride south is where the story takes a very macabre and sickening turn.
After driving back around Media Heights Golf Course, Ed took another dirt lane just south. And there, he said, he reached over and started to choke Marian Baker, for no reason other than 'impulse'.
She screamed and jumped out of the car and tried to run. He said he choked her again. And then walked around to his trunk and removed a lug wrench. He then beat her about the head, crushing her skull and killing her.
He ultimately hid her body under some corrugated sheeting under an excavation at the cottage that was on the property.It is important to note that he returned to the scene of the murder three times, only hiding her body on the last visit.
He disposed of her belongings, being a purse, umbrella, rings in various locations: The Little Conestoga Creek out by Maple Grove, Mill Creek, Stumpf's gas station. He hid his bloody clothes under attic floorboards in East Hall, where he and his wife lived on campus.
The authorities may have had his identity in their possession from the start but for some reason never realized it or didn't immediately act on it for reason that remain unknown.
But as the noose tightened, Ed crumbled and confessed to the crime.
The crime and the trial enveloped Lancaster County and the surrounding area in a way that no crime before ever had.
Ed Gibbs was convicted and sentenced to death. He was executed in the electric chair and was laid to rest in Hillcrest Cemetery near Pitman, New Jersey.

Marian Baker was laid to rest in her beloved New Bloomfield. After her heartbreaking funeral service at Gundel's Funeral Home in Conestoga, the mourners embarked on a long, tear-filled journey up the 'river road', taking Marian home.

Ed Gibbs refused to offer any reason for his brutal attack and murder of Marian Baker other than to say he did it 'on impulse'. Even his defense attorney, Hensel Brown, paid a price for his involvement in the case. It wasn't the loss so much as it was Brown's certainty that Ed just didn't tell the whole story. Brown lived the rest of his life with a piece of himself missing. He defended Ed the best he could with what Ed gave him. It was clear with the confession and susbtantiating evidence that he was guilty. But Brown had hoped to at least save him from the death penalty. Lancaster County is filled with Christian and faith-filled hearts of compassion. The death penalty recommendation from the jury stunned everyone, the judge included.
Brown had hoped that Ed would tell him the rest of the story and the missing facts would have been the key to having the jury recommend life or a long jail term rather than death.

Ed's father collapsed in the courthouse. He had a heart condition and his son's crime was the beginning of the end for J. Lester. Ed's mother was in a world of her own. For her own mental health, she retreated into a world of nice dresses, a tidy home and doing the right thing. She didn't attend the trial.

On the day that Ed confessed to the murder, he asked his friend, John George to pick Helen, his wife up, at work at Armstrong Cork at 5 pm. John had done this several times before so he didn't think it odd. Until Ed then blurted out that he had to go confess to killing Marian Baker.
Helen was told about the events in the room she shared with Ed in East Hall. She returned to Pitman later with Ed's parents who arrived from New Jersey. Once Helen left Lancaster, she was protected and guarded fiercely. Her Lancaster friends never betrayed her.
She didn't attend the trial and from what is known, had no contact with Ed from that day forward. Ed's lawyer did believe that her absence in the courtroom had a profound effect on the trial and the jury.

Ed Gibbs was executed in the electric chair. He had very little to say other than to have the Chaplain tell his parents that was okay.

He went to his grave without telling one more detail of that day or offering any additional explanation as to why he felt the need to choke and then beat the life out of Marian Baker.

The theories ran wild.

The author, Richard Gehman, wrote a book about the case, "A Murder In Paradise". On first glance, it tells the story. On second, third and beyond, I learned that Gehman never even spoke with some closest to the people involved or to those involved directly. He gleaned his information from innuendo and newspaper articles from Lancaster. He was remote from the situation and profited from a
very lazy approach to telling any part of the story.
His work broke hearts. His lazily written book caused pain to those who loved Marian.
He wrote the book to sell it. Plain and simple. Truth be damned.
He didn't do the leg work a true story required. He let others funnel information to him and he never took the time to listen to those involved. And he didn't verify his 'facts'.
He did a disservice even to the Gibbs family.
His coy and snide descriptions of some of the people and practices of Lancaster and Lancaster County has never set well with me. After all, he was a local boy gone good. But he looked down on the simple people of the county as if he were elite.
Shame on Richard Gehman and shame on his editor and publisher. They all ate at the banquet fueled by the destruction of lives and happiness.

There are relatives of all involved that still wish to forget or to live as if January 1950 never happened. They see no good in dredging it all up now, at this late date. They see no reason or purpose. They see no good coming of it.
I heartily disagree.
Marian Baker lived. And that still matters.The facts of her brutal death are horrible, but they are part of the story. It was the goodness in Marian that allowed her to trust Ed Gibbs that day. She was kind to a man she secretly couldn't stand.
It has always been Marian's story that I want to write.

And again I have to say thank you to all of those people who have willingly contacted me to share what they know, what they lived and what they believe.
Never will I betray a confidence. Only with permission will anything ever be posted or shared. Those who have been contacting me for a long while already know that. The folks who only recently have found me will learn that first hand.
I truly hope that I will have the time before winter truly hits to continue the hands on research. Only so much can be done long distance.
And also, feel free to contact me with any questions. I will share what I know, but only with the permission of the sources.

There will be no sensationalizing this horrible crime. Not by me. And if I determine that anyone is attempting to profit from the heartache and pain, I'll do what I can to make sure that doesn't happen.

Suze

Welcome Fall.... Time in Lancaster County and Beyond Is Soup For The Soul!

2010-11-04T15:51:00.000-04:00

A brief update....
On Friday, October 29, 2010 we returned yet again to Lancaster County for some research, some shopping and to revisit some sites and locations that are very important and dear to us.
We even journeyed to Columbia, Mountville, Ephrata, Adamstown, Reinholds, Vinemont, Galen Hall, Wernersville and beyond.
I have much filing and cross-referencing to do and will update here as I am able. Life is infringing a bit on my passions, which is only a good thing, since it includes our precious new baby boy :) I do have to say that life has cycled into one of the most positive and incredible phases we've encountered in a long time :) Business is booming for all of us, each in our own venue, and things are just GOOD :)
I am still awaiting responses from a few folks in reference to information and articles and materials about Marian. Patience is something I'm learning first hand to be sure.

The End of Summer and Resuming The Search

2010-09-27T05:20:00.000-04:00

The physical location of the headstones of the Gibbs family is still telling after all these years.

Now that our hectic Summer Season is just about over, I'm finally going to have the time to get back to work on my research! It's way overdue.

My work can start, in earnest, next week, after I tie up some loose ends and finish some daunting genealogical research for a good friend.

Thanks for hanging in there during the hiatus! We'll be rolling again shortly!

Helen Woodward. Virginia Gibbs and Even Nancy Woodward?

2010-07-17T22:05:00.001-04:00

What was the Gibbs family connection to F&M College?
How did a family born and bred in New Jersey come to know about that particular college for men?
What are the odds that three young women from Gloucester County, New Jersey would come to wed men who not only attended the same college, that being F&M, but men who were brothers in the very same fraternity?
Sigma Chi, on West James Street, in Lancaster, PA became a hub of family interest.

Did the author of that now locally-famous misrepresentation of most central and key people and aspects of the Marian Baker murder know about the connection between Helen Gibbs' sister Nancy and Ed Gibbs good friend and frat brother, John K. George?
Or was that relationship not yet underway?

New and Dear Friends in Pitman, New Jersey, Western Pennsylvania, Etc.

2010-07-17T21:58:00.001-04:00

This journey has had many facets so far. Some dark and brooding, others light and full of love.
One of the blessings that it's given to me is the introduction to some wonderful people whom I would never had had the pleasure of interacting with save for this road I'm on.
I'm learning that the good things I've heard about Pitman, New Jersey are true. They are good people.
The same can be said for Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
I owe many debts of gratitude.

Edward Lester Gibbs was protected by his parents, Joseph Lester and Florence, in life.
He remains in their protective stance in death.

As was told to me by someone very close and dear to Marian Baker, Florence made her final statement in her choice of placement in Hillcrest Cemetery on Delsea Drive.
They stood by him then. They lay by him now.

Much Like The Layers Of An Onion.....

2010-07-08T15:50:00.000-04:00

The research into the life and experiences of Marian Louise Baker and her untimely death have led to paths I never imagined or contemplated before. I've been helped enormously by some new friends and acquaintances as well as family members and those who were close to not only Marian but to Gibbs as well.
I find myself dumbfounded lately that even after all the 'work' I've done over the years, there are still so many things to investigate, so many facts that I either didn't focus on before or that have just risen to the top for me to find.
To tell Marian's story, which is so much more than the horrible story of her death, I have to literally go back to those days. I have to reconstruct, as best I can, the times, the places and the essence of those years. I will confess that I am very comfortable with 'those times'. I feel a tether to those days for some reason.
It certainly makes the research harder than I imagined, but at the same time, the help I've been given, the gracious assistance, time and effort shared with me is awe-inspiring. There will be many, many people to thank once Marian's story is complete; as complete as it can be without Marian to tell it herself.
I guess that's what I sense most of all.
Marian isn't here to tell her story. And it's such an important story to tell.
Marian was a precious baby, a darling little girl, a caring and giving young woman. She had favorite colors, favorite foods. She had areas in her life where she excelled and areas where she didn't. She had habits and she had dislikes/likes. She was a precious person who was brutally taken in those cold, damp woods that January day. And with that final blow to her head, her story remained only in the hearts and souls of those lucky enough to have known her and loved her.
The media, in book and newspaper, certainly did her no favors. But both are profit driven.
Marian would be an old lady today. She would have married Edgar Rankin. Perhaps had children and would be a loving grandmother today. She was viciously robbed of all chances that day.
But she did live on in those who loved her.
And all these years, they've had to know the truth about her while hearing the innuendo propagated by the book. And the newspapers.
It's important the the truth about her be told and be committed to history.
Finally.

I'm waiting to hear from F&M about the search for the photograph of Marian that hung in the Bursar's office after her death. I pray it's found. I pray harder that Marian's face is smiling down from a wall in an office on the campus as I type.
I also have to thank so many others from F&M who have gone so far above and beyond in helping me with my research.
I have to admit, I felt a bit of trepidation revealing what I wanted and why.
Marian Baker's murder was a dark, dark day in the history of the college. In no way was the college even remotely responsible for what happened. But I do understand a bit of wanting it all to just stay in the past.
That has not been the reaction I've met and I owe F&M a debt of gratitude.
I spent many hours on that campus in my undergrad days and my experience has always been the same: gracious, professional people offering any and all help possible.
I have tried to imagine the campus in 1950.
I have to imagine no more.
This is a map of the F&M campus, circa 1950, from the college catalog of that year.
I couldn't have reconstructed the locations of the various sites and buildings so accurately.

2010-07-02T17:30:00.000-04:00

Most of you will easily recognize the photo above, of a confluence of rivers. It remains the banner photo for my other blog, The Confluence News, which is restricted.
It occurred to me that a confluence is exactly what happened to a young girl from Pennsylvania and a young man from New Jersey.

West Chester, PA To South Carolina....

2010-06-29T12:05:00.002-04:00

I think till all is said and done I'm going to post a map on one of my walls and track pertinent locations of the Marian Baker story with push pins.
I've added West Chester, PA to the list of locations. I'll post more about that later.
I have even more folks that I am indebted to and I can't thank them enough for their help!
I'll be back later today with more updates, I hope :)

One Additional Avenue To Explore and Perhaps Put To Rest Finally

2010-06-28T21:53:00.000-04:00

Theories have abounded about almost every aspect of the murder of Marian Baker.
Some questions will never be answered. Some will never be answered to everyone's satisfaction.
One question I've had that I really feel compelled to answer is if Ed Gibbs had any influence, help or involvement with anyone else in the commission of the crime. I've not put much credence in that nebulous theory but it exists nonetheless.
Today I spoke with the Registrar at F & M and am researching Gibbs'academic pursuits. Due to privacy laws and college policy, I need to have my requests filed by the closest living relative of Ed Gibbs. There is much documentation that goes along with that request.
So, I guess I'll be heading back to Pitman. My motives have been clear to those who remain and they have not been unkind or ungiving thus far.
So many things just haven't made sense. Perhaps reviewing Ed's contacts and interactions, or lack of them, will finally put that one question to rest. Did he act alone? Totally alone? Could he have been roped into doing the bidding of someone else?
The first place to look is his transcript and to speak with those who knew him, again, and dig a bit deeper.
There is FAR more to Ed Gibbs than most folks know or even suspected.

It Has A Life Of It's Own....

2010-06-28T21:46:00.000-04:00

Little did Marian know that when she accepted that ride from Ed Gibbs after she left the western exit of the Lancaster Post Office that she would encounter terror.
I often wonder if she knows that all these many years later, we haven't forgotten.
It's been a very long and productive day here.
I have to thank several people at F & M for their graciousness and offers of help.If they weren't able to help me directly, they were quite adept at directing me to the appropriate folks.
I also am in continual gratitude to the Lancaster County Historical Society. They have been a treasure trove of assistance.
I have been in contact with a few more people who knew or were close to Marian or were friend with Ed Gibbs. It really is time to let this story breath on its own and try to not take any more breaks in my research.
Time is surely of the essence. The light is fading fast.

2010-06-28T20:16:00.000-04:00

Searching For Marian

2010-06-28T10:42:00.001-04:00

It's been so long since I've been able to resume my research but resuming I am....

I have to admit to being quite hopeful and even excited with reservations. Currently, the search is on for the photograph of Marian that hung in memoriam on the F and M campus for many years. I have been personally assured that it would have been revered and treated with love and protection once removed from it's place in East Hall, which was razed in the late seventies.
In fact, there's a chance that the photograph is now hanging on a different wall, on the very campus she loved so well!
My phone may ring with the news that Marian is still being seen and honored to this day!
I pray that this is the case.

I also discussed my upcoming visit to the campus and will update you all here about that trip.

Remaining Unchanged

2010-03-07T07:42:00.000-05:00

Last night we finally saw the 48 Hours Mystery on CBS profiling the Roseboro murder case.

I was surprised to learn that many who sat down to watch the show shed tears. Some who cried knew Jan and Mike personally. Many never met anyone directly involved in the tragedy. But their sadness wasn't diminished by that fact. They cried for Jan and her children. They cried for the Roseboro family.

It all remains unchanged.

Jan Roseboro, wonderful, giving, loving and spirit-filled Mom, is dead.
Mike is incarcerated and devoid of morals. I offer the appearance of his wedding ring and his empty remark that he 'misses' his wife.
Angela Funk is still mirroring what she thinks she needs to display. Ever the Narcissist, she said she is 'sorry'.
That's what normal people would say. She simply is playing a role. With the absence of any true scruples, conscience or integrity, she dipped into the emotion pool to try to appear normal. It didn't work.
Mike committed two crimes. But only one seriously affected Angie.
He lied to her. He had other affairs. THAT was the wobbly spinning plate in Angie's world.

Years before they had actually met face to face, Angie spied Mike and fantasized about being the wealthy, socially prominent Mrs. Michael Roseboro.
Her plan seemed to be finally coming together.
If Mike needed to kill his wife for Angie to become the new Mrs. Roseboro? I think Angie could live with it.
But Mike bedded other women, many other women, and that was infuriating to Angie.
Heaven knows it just got worse when Angie checked out the other women. Mike had fooled around with women much younger and far more attractive than Angie Funk. And she found that out.

Angie orchestrated a pregnancy. She and Mike had had a 'near miss' previously to the latest pregnancy. The risk of becoming pregnant wasn't a risk in the normal sense to Angie. It was her goal. Even when they thought she had become pregnant in a previous dalliance together and 'missed the bullet', Angie never took extra precautions to make sure it didn't happen again. Quite the contrary.

If anyone believes that Angie Funk was simply an uninvolved bystander in this tragedy they are badly mistaken.
Mike Roseboro was played and it cost him his life for all intents and purposes.
Mike Roseboro was played and it cost his children the most of all.
Jan Roseboro and Angie Funk couldn't be any more different.
For all of the light and love that Jan Roseboro shed on those around her, Angie is a dark force who seeps into people's lives, coating them slowly with her muck.
She's like a kudzu vine.

It's a shame that CBS didn't share more of the truth about Angie. But networks hate lawsuits, even if they win in the end. They're costly and time consuming.
But don't think for a minute that Angie fooled them. There are hours of investigative data that never made the show. Pages and pages of 'facts' about this tragedy that just couldn't be shared in the guise of a mystery show.

Angie Funk has cheated before. She has a penchant for other womens' husbands. And she takes what she wants.

It all remains unchanged.

Angie is still a reprehensible shell of a human being. And now not only does the east coast know it, the nation does. She fooled no one in the end.
What kind of a human being, especially a wife and mother, makes out in a parking lot with the husband of a woman who has been choked, beaten and drowned? We all know the answer to that question clearly.
And even when Angie found out about all the other affairs, she clung to the Roseboro dream with both fists.
She truly believed she was headed for a bigger house, a bigger life and a bigger perch in the local society.

She isn't fit to lick Jan Roseboro's shoes. Never was, never will be.

Trash. Angie is still trash.

It certainly does ring true. You CAN put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.

Marian Louise Baker's Roots, Love and Family Ties

2009-12-11T18:30:00.001-05:00

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

2009-11-23T19:49:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-11-20T19:27:00.001-05:00

Taking care of business :) Have a great weekend!

To Be Remembered As....

2009-11-09T20:34:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-04T21:10:00.000-05:00

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 :)

2009-11-03T20:35:00.000-05:00

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......

2009-11-02T21:13:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-01T21:18:00.000-05:00

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?

2009-11-01T16:02:00.000-05:00

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

2009-10-30T20:09:00.001-04:00

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

2009-10-30T19:51:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-10-28T22:48:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-28T00:52:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-27T22:38:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-27T22:13:00.002-04:00

View Larger Map

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

2009-10-26T21:17:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-25T11:14:00.000-04:00

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.

2009-10-25T10:11:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-24T01:08:00.001-04:00

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

2009-10-22T20:34:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-22T19:01:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-22T18:22:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-22T16:43:00.003-04:00

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.

Marian's Big Brother, Ross: A Life Of Honor

2009-10-21T15:56:00.000-04:00

ROSS DALTON BAKER SMITH, son of the late Walter and Helen B. Soule Baker (Britcher) and adopted son of the late Curtis A. and Mary W. Soule Smith, died Monday, July 14, 2008 in the Perry Village Nursing Home, New Bloomfield. He was 82.

Mr. Smith is survived by his wife of 61 years, Madalene I. Wohletz of New Bloomfield; 2 daughters: Karen G. Diller of Lancaster and Anne M. Warfel of Bloomsburg. Also surviving are three grandchildren, George J. Kern and wife Stephanie of Flower Mound, TX, James D. Warfel and wife Yvonne of Berwick, and Marian L. Schlauch and husband Curtis of Odessa, TX; 2 half-brothers, Earl Britcher of Carlisle, John B. Britcher and a half-sister, Arlene M. Whisler of New Bloomfield. Also surviving are 8 great-grandchildren: Kobe, Tre’ and Aubrie Kern; Leslie and Britney Warfel; Britt, Dalton and Chesley Schlauch.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Marian Louise Baker.

Mr. Smith was born November 26, 1925 in New Bloomfield, where he attended the local schools. He was a graduate of New Bloomfield High School and Thompson Business College. He was a veteran of WWII, having served on the USS Lexington in the Pacific Theatre. He was awarded several medals and battle stars. Following his Naval duty, he was employed as the Sr. Correspondent for the State Workmen’s Compensation Board and later worked as a material and supply clerk at the US Naval Supply Depot in Mechanicsburg before becoming affiliated with PA Power and Light Company, at Safe Harbor, Lancaster County in the Clerical field. He later transferred to the Montour Steam Electric Station where he served as Chief Clerk for a five year period and completed his employment with PP&L Co., as Store Supervisor at Sunbury Steam Electric Station.

Mr. Smith was a member of Perry Historians, PA and World Wildlife Associations, Audubon Society, American Land Preservation Program, and United Seniors Association and the Heritage Foundation. Mr. Smith served as Republican Committeeman for several years in Conestoga Twp., Lancaster County, also served as Secretary and driver for the Conestoga Ambulance Association. He was Asst. P.T.A President at Creswell Elementary School and later President of the P.T.A. of the elementary school in Conestoga. He was a former member of the Conestoga Lions Club and secretary of the Bethel Evangelical Church Official Board as well as Assistant Superintendent. After moving to Perry county, Mr. Smith along with his wife were attendees of the East Newport First Church of God. Mr. Smith was recipient of the “Man of the Year” award in 1970 from the Conestoga Jaycees. A lover of writing, his first book, “Bitter Sweet the Days” was published in 1972.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 18, 2008 in the Boyer Funeral Home, 101 W. Main Street, New Bloomfield, PA, where a viewing will be held one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in the Snyder’s Church Cemetery, where full military honors will be rendered by New Bloomfield VFW Post #7463, and Newport American Legion Post #177. Pastor Cheryl Dorman, of East Newport First Church of God, will be officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, Capital Region, 3211 N. Front Street, Suite 100, Harrisburg, PA 17110; or the Capital Region American Heart Association, 4999 Louise Drive, Suite 104, Mechanicsburg, PA, 17055, or American Diabetes Association, 3544 North Progress Avenue, Suite 101, Harrisburg, PA, 17110.

Marian's Most Loyal Hero: Her Big Brother

2009-10-20T16:14:00.002-04:00

Ross Dalton Baker Smith never forgot his little sister. He lived a life of honor and hard work.
Marian wrote to him when he was in the service and her letters to him still exist today.
He has a granddaughter named Marian Louise :)

Setting The Record Straight :)

2009-10-20T00:38:00.002-04:00

It's been about 41 years since I read my Mom's copy of A Murder In Paradise in it's entirety and really did grasp what I was reading. From a little girl on up, Marian Louise Baker's smiling face shone out to us from the photo album at my Nanny Kelley's house in Conestoga.
Marian and her story have been with me the better part of my life. I guess I shouldn't say "her story" because it's taken this long to understand and know her story.
Everything happens for a reason and everything in it's own time....that is an absolute truth.
Coordinates have intersected. People have been at the keyboard, reading, surfing and clicking at the precise moments they were supposed to.
After all these years, everything is coming together to lift the fog, the lies and the fallacies.
And under the horror of the brutal murder, the truth still exists. And it's now time to tell it and to set the record straight.
Words are very powerful. Words that were written just a few short years after Marian's death are still reverberating today. And not setting well since they aren't based in fact.

To state one truth as simply as I can at this late hour........

Marian Baker was a beautiful little girl, born in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania.
When she was 21, on an errand for her employer, she accepted the offer of a ride back to the F & M campus from Edward Lester Gibbs.
Edward Lester Gibbs was a predatory animal who had urges and a severe personality disorder.
He brutalized her, murdered her and hoped to get away with his crime.
Marian Baker was the victim.
Ed Gibbs was the pathological, perverted killer.
Marian's innocence was her only contribution to the events that led to her heinous murder.
Because of the goodness she possessed, she would have never even suspected that she was in any danger.
Until Gibb's car left the main road.
And then the day passed a threshold that could never be altered.
A good girl accepted a ride from a monster.
Gibbs was a monster. Not simply "off balance". He didn't simply "go out of his head" as he killed her. Yes, it was a sudden brutal attack. But it was fomented in the sickness of his depraved mind.
He choked her, he struck her with a lug wrench.
And when Ed Gibbs was done rendering her lifeless and brutalized, the media took their turn at her.
There's so much to say.....
It's late and I will be working on this again tomorrow afternoon.

Marian,
I know full well that right now, you're better than fine. You're there :) And the things we all worry and fret about or get so riled up about just don't seem all that important to you now, given the big picture and what you now know about life.
But I think you know how much you still matter to those who love you and have never forgotten you. And for at least my very own mundane, earthbound reasons, it's time to tell the truth about you and about what happened to you.
You were the quintessential good girl. Fact.
But to sell copies of a salacious and sloppily researched book, innuendoes and intimations were printed and shared with the world.
Those that knew you have never been at peace with that.
It hurts to remember what happened to you that day. It hurts them to know that you were ripped from them.
But what love there is! Sixty years after your passing you are still so very important.
And it seems that for some reason, the time is right.
It's time to set the record straight.
Your story is not limited to that horrible January day in 1950. It's filled with laughter and hugs. It's filled with tears and difficult decisions. It's filled with the love of family and the sacrifices that never felt like sacrifices when done with love.
Marian, I am so sorry for what happened to you as a child and as a young woman.
I'm going to do all I can to tell the truth, finally about you.
It's a love story :)
For your brief stay among us, you certainly planted much love. It still grows to this day.

I Welcome All Emails and Contact

2009-10-19T22:06:00.003-04:00

I wanted to take a moment to thank those who are reading and keeping up with the research into the case and the story of Marian Louise Baker's short life.
I welcome any and all emails and contact. Feel free to contact me at any time.
And again, I need to reassure those so directly related to the persons involved and the crime itself...I have no interest in sensationalizing what occurred in 1950 or the aftermath.
Presenting the full truth, with compassion and respect is what I want to do.
Some of the truths aren't pretty. Many are not. And I will continue to respect all involved.
For those hesitant to make initial contact with me, I can assure you that your privacy is paramount. I keep my word. You can count on that.
Thanks for reading and for keeping this project about the truth and about the goodness that was Marian.

Wanting To Forget vs. Needing To Remember

2009-10-18T22:56:00.002-04:00

The truth behind the Marian Louise Baker murder is deep. It's deeper and farther reaching than most ever truly allowed themselves to believe.
Sure, theories ran rampant throughout the state in the months and years after the conviction and execution of Edward Lester Gibbs. But very few knew. Really knew.
Some know the truth today.
But all this time there has been a dichotomy.
It's been a battle of people wanting to forget versus the need to remember Marian Louise Baker.
It reminds me of the Garth Brooks song, "The Dance".
To get to the good stuff, sometimes you have to suffer immeasurable loss.
And it seems to be a cosmically unfair result to have Marian and her full story not remembered to avoid having to face and acknowledge the evil depravity that rained down on her in the woods at the Harnish cottage that cold January day.
The full story is very much alive. And known by some. I have no idea where it will all go from here.
I truly don't. Sometimes it's enough just to know.
All I can say with certainty is that Marian Louise Baker was alive.
She was loved and she loved in return.
She loved plaid and she loved her brother.
And she loved New Bloomfield. And she loved Edgar Rankin and her engagement ring from Kay Jewelers.
She dreamed of being a wife and someday a mother.
She never was able to start her scrapbook.
Or plan her wedding.
But she was alive. And people loved her dearly.
For her to be forgotten is impossible in my mind.
But time does go on and those who knew her personally aren't going to live forever.
I am sad that F & M didn't create a scholarship in her name. Even a small one. Or a fund to help a student with book charges. Or meals.
Anything.
I would like to create a charity or donation in Marian's memory geared toward what she loved best and what mattered to her.
I am very lucky to have the feedback and help from some who knew her and her family well.
With their help, I simply want to create a living, ongoing way to remember Marian and help someone.
Marian got a kick out of doing things for others.
And that would be a wonderful way to make sure no one forgets her name.
On April 10, 2010 Marian would be 82 years old.
It's about time the good things that made Marian, Marian are passed on so everyone can remember the little girl, born in New Bloomfield, who loved her brother and had a beautiful smile.....
I have to say it. Shame on you, F & M. You had THE opportunity to remember her. I understand PR and collegiate politics. But come on, this was a young girl who worked for you faithfully for four years, without incident.
Your need to separate your reputation from the crime of your student Edward Lester Gibbs caused you to disrespect one of your most faithful stewards. Shame on you.

Helen Woodward Gibbs...Woodward....Beck

2009-10-18T18:03:00.004-04:00

Helen Woodward was a dark haired beauty from Haddonfield, New Jersey. She and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John R. Woodward moved to Sewell, New Jersey, close to Pitman in 1945. Her family may have lived on the Kings Highway in Haddonfield with her grandparents. That has to be confirmed. She met Ed after his discharge from the service.
To this day people that knew them both are stumped about what it was about Ed that attracted Helen Woodward.
They were married in the First Presbyterian Church of Pitman, New Jersey in 1947. The reception was held at the Hotel Pitman. The Hotel was auctioned off in the 1960's but would have been a wonderful site to visit.
Upon Ed's confession, Helen returned to New Jersey, being driven back there by Ed's parents. She returned to her parents' home and never communicated with her husband again.
He told his lawyer that he had written to her but claimed to have received no response.
Her parents spoke for her, claiming that Helen owed Ed nothing and she was off limits. Claims were made that she had taken to her bed and was "ill".
The Woodwards couldn't possibly imagine what would happen to their daughter once married to Gibbs but they weren't fond of Ed from the start and were less than supportive of the marriage.
Helen Gibbs legally reverted to her maiden name in 1951, the year of Ed's execution, relocated to Englewood, New Jersey. She clearly wanted distance between herself and the south Jersey locales that brought such horror to her life.
She worked for a real estate firm in Fair Lawn, not far from Englewood and it was reported to me that she remarried in the late 1950's to a man named Beck.
The questions about a possible pregnancy continue. A few persons that knew her believe that she did, indeed, return to New Jersey pregnant.
At this point, no one is comfortable sharing what they think the outcome of the pregnancy was.
Was there a "Woodward" born in 1950 that really was the son or daughter of Edward Lester Gibbs? Was a child placed up for adoption? Was the pregnancy terminated medically or spontaneously?
Was the child "given" to relatives to raise?
And if the pregnancy was a fact, did the person ever know their genealogy or heritage?
The Gibbs family never, ever answered the O'Donels letters expressing Christian compassion and forgiveness. That speaks volumes to many of us.
A simple response wouldn't have been that costly to most of us. Painful, yes, but not psychologically costly. Not the case in the Gibbs family.
So many people were doomed at set, certain points in history.
Ed Gibbs was doomed the day he was conceived.
Helen Woodward was doomed the day she found herself wanting to date Ed Gibbs.
Marian Baker was doomed the moment her hand touched the cold, wet metal door handle of the car on Chesnut Street in front of the Lancaster Post Office.
That car was only going one way. And it wasn't back to the college. Not if Ed Gibbs could help it.
A sightseeing ride to relax? Sorry, Ed, it wasn't like that.
You had a plan. Maybe not to brutalize Marian the way you did. But you were going to give in to your darkest, most twisted urges that afternoon and no one was going to stop you. Especially Marian Louise Baker.
Marian's uncle Jack, Leroy O'Donel was heard saying that he would have liked a chance to get his hands on Ed Gibbs. He is far from the only one with that wish.
It is amazing, sad and somehow reassuring that that sentiment is still felt today by some.
It means that they haven't forgotten. And they haven't stopped loving or wanting to protect Marian.
I said before that this story has begun breathing on its own.
Many people are paying attention. And there's been some stir in New Jersey and elsewhere.
Yes, I want the whole truth to be told. Finally.

The Whole Story

2009-10-18T17:31:00.003-04:00

Clearly, the whole truth about what went on in the woods near the Harnish cottage in West Lampeter Township on January 10, 1950 has never been made public.
Ed Gibbs confessed to killing Marian Louise Baker. By law, there had to be a trial.
The prosecution had more than enough evidence at the outset to gain a conviction for the crime.
They opted to not include all the evidence. As was said to me recently about it..."It would have been overkill." It surely wouldn't have put Gibbs in any better light with the jury. It would have skeeved them greatly.
I have wondered if the DA was sparing Marian's memory or the peace of mind of her family and loved ones by not introducing everything they knew or could surmise from the evidence of the crime.
To do their job and do it well, they legally didn't need to tell the world what really happened.
It was twisted and depraved.
Richard Gehman did at least allude to the concealed truths a few times in the book.
Certain phrases and sentences that he used have always made me wonder. It was as if he was throwing out a clue at a time to spur the most curious to do some work of their own.
The presence of a particular female in the courtroom clearly and visibly upset Gibbs more than the fact that he was on trial for his life. What on earth could that young woman tell the courtroom, if called, that could be worse than what Ed had already confessed to?
Ed Gibbs was depraved. And there were a few people who knew.
I have always gotten the sense that he was sparing his family the ultimate shame by going to his death without telling it all.
To normal people, what on earth could be worse than being a confessed killer?
Being what we would call today a "freak".
That would be the ultimate shame to your family, to your good name and to your community.
And as much as Ed Gibbs wanted and craved being the center of the party, and well thought of,
his protection of his friable, brittle mother was what made his stick to his ridiculous and disregarded defense of having killed Marian on impulse.
Ed was driven by impulse but those impulses were present long before he choked Marian.
They were there in his behaviors with other young women in the area when his wife was out of town or doing other things.
As I have said many times and will say many more, his story just doesn't add up.
He stuck to his story to protect his mother.
For the world to know what he really was and did would have killed her.
He said it himself when he turned himself in at F & M... he said "I am Edward Gibbs." When told
that yes, they did know him, he responded..."No, you don't know me. You only think you know me." That is the absolute truth.
The only one who may have gotten closer to the black soul of Ed Gibbs was his wife, Helen.
And it's not a sure bet that even she knew the worst of him.
Did he intimate to his wife his depravity even in it's most minor form?

I remember my own mother's garter belts from back in the day.
The eyelets just don't fall off. Not even from being dragged. It takes some force to rip the material.
If you choke a person to the point of unconsciousness so that it gives you a chance to leave them and walk to your car, open your trunk and retrieve a lug wrench, all without fear of them having the physical ability to run while you're on your errand, how do you inflict crushing wounds to the right frontal area of their head as well as the left parietal area with sufficient force to actually tear into the ear cavity?
If we are to believe that Marian was choked and unconscious at the very least, did Ed turn her over to keep striking her with the lug wrench?
The rage attack would have been sudden, non-stop and relentless without repositioning the victim to inflict the wounds in such disparate locations.
I believe that Marian was indeed still alive and at least able to move her head in defense as he struck her with the lug wrench.
Edward Lester Gibbs was a liar. To the very end.
To tell it all would have killed his mother and he went to the chair taking the truth with him.
How nice for him.
But how horrible for Marian.
Some days, it feels like enough to just know that he killed her. The details don't matter.
Today isn't one of those days.
I believe under it all that Ed Gibbs needs to be held accountable today, if only in the court of public knowledge, for what he really did to Marian Louise Baker in January of 1950.
The crime scene and autopsy photos are extremely graphic but hold much information.
The complete transcript of the trial does as well.
I am quite anxious to finally spend some time examining both.
My grown daughter, who has heard of Marian and this case for many years, will be going with me to view the photos and examine the transcript. When I do my document or archive research I always rely on at least a second set of eyes. They may pick up on something I miss and vice versa.
I am also waiting on a response about the actual evidence from the trial itself.

I have to acknowledge those who wish for this subject and this story to just go away, much as it has for many years. I intend no harm and I wish to inflict no pain in having old memories resurface. But time is running out. And the whole, horrible truth of this crime and the stories of all involved need to be revealed while we still can do that.
Ed Gibbs was electrocuted for what he did to Marian. No, he was electrocuted for what he admitted doing to Marian. I fear that his Maker had bigger and better plans for him knowing full well what Ed did to her in the cold woody area near Mill Creek.
Let Ed Gibbs finally stand accountable for what he really did.
Sometimes the truth is horrible. But why should Ed and his real character be protected? He afforded Marian no protection that day. He robbed good people of a light in their lives.
He destroyed lives and he destroyed people.
Someone said that Ed Gibbs died like a man. I submit that he killed liked a depraved animal. And he died like a coward.

Down The Road

2009-10-18T15:51:00.002-04:00

Marian Louise Baker was sent to live with her maternal aunt and uncle, the O'Donels when she was just a little girl. Her brother, Ross Dalton Baker was sent to live with another maternal aunt and uncle. So many miles separated them.

I have read and was told by those at Marian's services that her Aunt Allie and Uncle Jack were distraught and barely able to breath. Her mother, however, held up pretty well. She was the last to arrive at her murdered daughter's service and she was the first to leave.
That fact was lost on no one.

Life went on after Marian's death. It has to and it does.

In 1951 the O'Donels purchased property and continued their rural farm life. I can tell you personally, from a little girl's point of view, that there were no finer people in Conestoga.
The character of the O'Donels was without question to the community.
Marian had seen her biological father, Walter M. Baker, very infrequently in the years after her parents' separation and divorce.
Her mother, Helen Soule Baker Britcher, was remarried before Marian's death and had more children, living in the New Bloomfield area.
Helen Britcher died in 1971 in the Polyclinic Hospital, at the age of 70.
She died seventeen hours after her clothes went up in flames in a kitchen accident.

Correcting Some Details...

2009-10-18T15:12:00.002-04:00

As I posted earlier, not all the facts presented about the Marian Baker murder case, the people involved or the events in their lives have been passed on correctly.
From time to time I'd post the corrections here.
Case in point.
Alice and Leroy O'Donel, Marian's maternal aunt and uncle who raised her in Conestoga, had two children. A son, Orin and a daughter Kathleen O'Donel were raised with Marian.
Ed Gibbs and Helen Woodward were married at the First Presbyterian Church of Pitman, New Jersey. Photos of that church and the interior have been posted here. Any photos of the UM Church and references to their nuptials being there will be corrected in their respective posts.
There's much more to write. I'll be posting later this evening.
And welcome to the new readers. Feel free to email me or contact me with any questions, comments or offerings you may have.

Was Eddie About To Become A Father? One Newspaper Said So....

2009-10-18T00:50:00.001-04:00

2009-10-17T16:07:00.000-04:00

So Much Loss

2009-10-17T15:20:00.004-04:00

It's been a horribly gray, rainy and dismal few days here. As I write this the rain is pouring, the wind is shaking the trees and the day really couldn't get any more gray.
I have no desire to give in to the general depressive mood of the weather or the latest, or oldest, happenings surrounding my research. But something was very clear to me today and I hope that everyone remembers it or at least uses it as a vantage point when thinking about the two murders that have sometimes shown points of similarity or intersection on this blog.

I can watch the rain fall outside my window, feeling warm and cozy inside my house, knowing that as soon as this weather pattern passes, there will be clear, crisp sunny Fall days. Days I can enjoy picking out pumpkins, buying fresh apple cider and decorating for Halloween.
I know that despite the effect the "flu" and bronchitis have had on our schedules and work the past two weeks, we can catch up and get back to our routine.
I know that I can decide what to have for dinner tonight, and I can have that dinner with my son.
I can pick up the phone and call my daughter and ask about her day.
I just walked out to my kitchen and poured a fresh hot cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee.....
And no matter how much he may bristle and look at me as if I've lost my ever-lovin' mind, at any time I can hug my six-foot tall son and give him a huge kiss on the cheek......

Mrs. Roseboro can't hug her son anymore. Ever.
The Roseboro kids can't curl up in the family bed with their Mom and Dad and watch a great movie.
Mike Roseboro can't choose what he'll have for dinner tonite.
And he can't have a cup of coffee whenever the mood hits him.
Jan Roseboro can't wrap her arms around her children and kiss them till they squirm and wiggle.
Little Master Roseboro can't ever outrun or outlive the scandal of his name.
The Funk girls can't outrun their maternal heritage and the fallout no matter how undeserved it will be to place it on their heads.
Jan's sister can't pick up the phone and tell Jan what she just heard or saw on the tv.
Sam can't talk to his Dad about sports. Or his dreams. Or his fears as he grows into being a man.
Mr. Roseboro can't pat his son on the back after a job well done.
Can you imagine getting ready for your upcoming college graduation and trying to explain to your friends why your Mom and Dad aren't there? Or why they haven't been in the four years that you've been in school?
Can you imagine standing at the narthex or nave of the church on your wedding day with out either your Mom or Dad there, because of the circumstances involved in this tragedy?
Or handing your newborn, their grandchild to them shortly after the blessed birth....you can't. Your Mom is gone and your Dad is a convicted murderer.
There isn't one moment in any of their lives that will go unstained and unmarred by the selfish acts of two soulless creatures. And they ruined all of these lives for what?

I don't know at any given moment who my hearts breaks more for.
There are so many people who have lost so much.
My heart breaks least for Mike. He chose his path.
But even taking a minute to think about what he really is experiencing at this very moment in a penitentiary is a sobering and scary thing.
So the sorrow for him is generic. It's a sadness that anyone would feel for someone who had it all and not only threw it away but did all he could do to kill it and ruin it, not just for himself but for everyone in his world.
As a Mom, my heart breaks for his parents. They did nothing to suffer the ultimate heartbreak.
As a daughter, my heart breaks for Jan's kids. They went to sleep and their world disappeared.
Totally. And no matter what we feel about the crime or about Mike, they lost their Dad too.
The love of a child for their Mom and Dad is boundless. It may take the rest of their lives to come to terms with this tragedy. And maybe they never will.
That's not for us to say or even comment on. They have the right to believe whatever gives their hearts and minds peace.
Jan's family has acted as angels, doing not just the right thing but the RIGHT thing for Jan's kids.
And then, there's little Master Roseboro. And that is who that little baby is, and will be, no matter what name his mother scribbles on a piece of paper.
How you could condemn a child to a life of scandal and innuendo is beyond our comprehension.
Anyone that has lived in southeastern PA knows that unless he moves out of state, sooner or later, his story is going to be found out.
It just goes that way.
I pray that karma does indeed exist for what two selfish adults did to that poor little baby.
Perhaps he will live a life of respect and duty that will make us all realize that in the horrible tragic circumstances that surrounded his conception, there is light. Maybe he is destined for great things. I hope so. But most of all, I pray that he is allowed to live peacefully, without torment and whispers.
There is so much anger still in the air. It's not as overt these days. But it's there.
No one has forgotten. They never will.
But it's clear that you can't make a person feel sorry for the horrible things they've chosen to do.
And each and every step in the trail that led to Jan's murder was a choice.
Mike physically killed Jan. But he was also manipulated. Clearly he has issues. And he lost his mind over a filthy affair. And a predator saw him coming.... saw his wallet too.
I rarely make comments anymore about the Roseboro murder and the filth surrounding it.
There's no need. Plenty of people are making their feelings known every day right there in Denver. Right on Walnut Street.
And we can all talk till we're blue in the face. And Angie will never be sorry or take responsibility for her role in this. Mike will remain in denial. I guess that's a good thing now that he's seeing what the 'big house' really means.
Angie crawled back under the roof of security. Out of love? Give me a break.
She hedged her bets. But she won't win in the end. She has to go to bed being Angie.
And she has to wake up being Angie too.
And some day, there will be a 35 year old man standing in front of her, tears in his eyes, asking her one very important question......
"How could you?"
My guess? She won't ever be able to tell him the truth.

Even if the ultimate outcome would not be in their favor, I wish that Jan's family would file suit against any and all parties connected with her death. Just to make them all take the stand and face society again and tell everyone what they did, what they said.
Let every last little filthy detail become part of the civil record. So that years from now, anyone can read it and learn the full, complete truth. And no matter the civil verdict, everyone could then make up their own minds about just what role everyone played in the brutal murder of Jan Roseboro. It doesn't require guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Just a preponderance of the evidence. That could be a very interesting outcome.

Mrs. Rawson

2009-10-16T23:53:00.000-04:00

Margaurite Anna Rawson
1902 - 2004

Margaurite A. Rawson, 101, of 35 Pittsburg Hill Road, Conestoga, died Thursday at Lancaster

General Hospital following a brief illness.
She was the wife of the late Francis E. Rawson, Sr. who died in 1982. Born in St. Mary’s, West

Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Herbert N. and Margaret E. Riggs Haddox.
She was of the Lutheran faith. She was a homemaker. Earlier in life she had been a seamstress and

a carpenter.
Surviving is a daughter Betty Louise Rawson of Conestoga, and a sister Gladys Johnson of Akron,

OH. She was preceded in death by a son Francis E. Rawson, Jr.

Services and interment in the Masonville Mennonite Cemetery will be private and held at the

convenience of the family.

2009-10-16T23:14:00.001-04:00

2009-10-16T23:02:00.000-04:00

More Glimpses Of The Past

2009-10-16T21:49:00.000-04:00

Photos From The Past: President Distler, F & M....

2009-10-16T21:36:00.000-04:00

A Bit Of Housekeeping and Some Dwell Time

2009-10-16T09:33:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy week and much has been going on in my research about the Marian Baker murder case and about Marian herself.
I've never "taken the wheel" where all of this research is concerned and from time to time the focus shifts, all by itself or with a nudge or two.
My source information has been "the book". I now use the quotation marks simply because most know now what I mean when I reference it, and because I have come to learn much about the book itself, the author and the motivation behind it.
I held Mr. Gehman in a position of legitimate source. Now, through my own research, and by being able to verify the information of others who know about facets of the case, it's clear that Mr. Gehman did a very perfunctory job of retelling the story. Some of his facts are garishly off the mark. Even simple facts.
When I was doing research and I'd uncover a gross inconsistency and assume I must be in error. No, I wasn't. Mr. Gehman played hard and fast with the facts.
Clearly the book was written with a superficiality that is an insult to Marian Baker, her family and all who knew and loved her.
I've always been able to "read" Mr. Gehman. I didn't miss the insults, the tongue-in-cheek barbs speared at Lancastrians and their "ways". I chalked that up to a "local boy done good" and being a big too big for his britches once he was a published author. Instead of remembering from whence he came and being proud of it, he seems to have adopted a rather exalted self-view.
Mr. Geman was a lazy author. He relied heavily on the help of others instead of doing the work himself.
I know that writers write to satisfy their own need to write. I know that they also write to balance some scales, even if they only exist in their own minds. And they write to make money.
I believe that was a quick, easy project in Mr. Gehman's eyes. There was no depth here. And his treatment or lack of any, with the facts, is clear now.
His book is not a "learned tome". It is a superficial, haphazard retelling of an event.
Nothing more.
Marian's family was unhappy about the book. I had an understanding of that right away, given our own desire for privacy, especially surrounding one of the most painful chapters in our lives.
But the author's motives and performance were crystal clear to them at the outset. This was sensationalizing and profitizing of the heinous murder of a beautiful member of their family.
The book served no purpose other than to make Mr. Gehman a bit richer and to have yet another title to add to his list.
We all have our own demons to slay or at least put at bay. I wonder how Mr. Gehman felt about his project with Marian's brutal murder.

Crossing The Bar By Lord Alfred Tennyson

2009-10-15T22:46:00.002-04:00

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.

Lead Kindly Light

2009-10-15T22:38:00.002-04:00

Lead, Kindly Light

1. Lead, kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene one step enough for me.

2. I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on.
I loved the garish day, and spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will: Remember not past years.

3. So long Thy pow'r has blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone.
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

4. Meantime, along the narrow rugged path,
Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith,
Home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life.

The Final Tribute To Marian Louise Baker

2009-10-15T22:31:00.001-04:00

Marian Loiuse Baker, born April 10, 1928, in New Bloomfield, Pa., died January 10, 1950, in West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pa (age 21 years, 9 months). Funeral service was held from the Oscar H. Gundel Funeral Home in Conestoga, Pa., at 9:30 A.M., January 17^th, with final resting place in the town she loved and her place of birth, New Bloomfield, Perry County, Pa. Rev. John B. Noss opened the funeral service with prayer and Marian’s beloved minister, The Rev. William Kutz of the Bethel Evangelical Congregational Church of Conestoga spoke on the Twenty Third Psalm. Through the service Rev. Kutz referred to the hymn “Lead Kindly Light” and read the poem: Crossing the Bar.” The service was closed with prayer after which the pallbearers, Elmer Huber, Jr., Maris Shaub, Raymond Rankin, Robert Rankin, Edward Weaver, and Robert Kreider rendered their services, and the funeral procession moved with police escort from Conestoga up the river road Rt. 411 through Marietta, Middletown, Steelton, Harrisburg, on to Duncannon ending the long trek in the New Bloomfield Cemetery where, following the prayer of peace, the family and friends departed leaving behind a part of their lives, the intangible love, devotion and memory of one of the finest branches from the family tree.

Marian Baker's Birth Mother's Gravesite

2009-10-15T02:15:00.000-04:00

The Roseboro Saga

2009-10-14T08:56:00.005-04:00

Just a few thoughts on the latest developments in the Roseboro murder case and saga....

Common sense is common sense.
If you apply it to the big picture, what is there to question?

If a man possesses the capability to strangle, beat and drown his wife of nineteen years in the family swimming pool while their children slept nearby, why would anyone be surprised that he will do all he can to beat a conviction for that murder?

From what we all learned from the trial proceedings, there was no defense. Even the most common reader assumed there would be bells and whistles, a smokescreen or ten thrown around the courtroom by Roseboro's defense team. Everyone expected to see the defense put on a case.
They did not. There was no defense. We expected high drama and legal shenanigans to end all shenanigans.
Mr. Sodomsky didn't have alot to work with.
First of all, I truly believe that at the outset, before the defense had their chance to investigate the situation for themselves, Mr. Sodomsky may have intended to hit the jurors hard with the "robber in the night" defense.
But once they had their own independent information, it may have seemed like jurisprudence and personal professional suicide to even venture to offer that ridiculous scenario to the jury.
The only scenario worse and more silly and ludicrous would have been to claim that Jan Roseboro murdered herself.
We all need to remember that even if a defendant confesses his or her crime to his attorney, that communication is priveleged and that defendant is fully entitled to a skillful and capable defense under the law.
Given the skillful presentation of the State and the very lack of any credible defense, a conviction was forthcoming.
An appeal is to be expected. I don't have the stats but I'd be hard pressed to show you many cases of this magnitude that don't involve any and all avenues to appeal. That's a given.
Expecting anyone, especially a person who has demonstrated the moral darkness of Roseboro to simply accept his fate and throw himself on the dagger to prevent his family from any addition pain is foolish.
It's common sense.
Would YOU sit in prison without exhausting each and every avenue for release?
This man and his mistress planned on a happy life, with broken lives and broken children in their wakes. They could have slept very well at night had Mike gotten away with murder.
No one else has ever mattered to each of them.
Funk bailed when she saw the writing on the wall. Her preferred meal ticket was heading up state. She takes care of herself. No throwing herself on the dagger in a tearful profession of love from the stand... Cold, calculating and heartless. That about sums it up for the both of them.
Mr. Sodomsky is paid for his acumen as a defense attorney.
Winning is the goal. Not necessarily doing the right thing or freeing a wrongly convicted man.
The law does not dictate that only the truly and actually innocent receive a competent defense. The actual innocence or guilt is irrelevant.
Given that Mr. Sodomsky's hands were severely tied in the trial, why wouldn't he lunge at any chance to gain a new trial.
It's what he's paid to do.
I'm sure he's working his tail off to get a new trial for Roseboro. It may be the winning play in the bottom on the ninth. It's the supreme "do over".
Many of us have wondered about the lack of a defense presented during the trial.
Essentially, there was none.
Was it really because there were no avenues to travel? Or did Mike insist on certain rules?
Was Angie "hands off" because Mike still believed she was in love with him? His words in the phone calls seem to say so.
He was had bigtime.
He was in the Lancaster County prison, pining for Angie, sure he'd be released so they could resume their plans for a life and love story, sick as it was. And Angie was hedging her bets.
If Mr. Sodomsky had been allowed to throw Angie out into the wind in a smoke and mirrors bid to create confusion, would Mike's conviction been such a sure thing?
Doubt was all that had to be produced.
They could have used the robber theory. They could have shown how Angie had spied Mike years ago and already had made comments about being his wife. They never had to prove that Angie did it, or that she could have done it. They simply needed to create doubt.
Some think that Mike kept Angie in a "saint state" and refused to allow anyone to intimate anything negative about her.
The defense's case or lack of one shocked everyone.
Were they constrained? To save whom?
If that's the case, it was a bad gamble.
But now, the usual and expected appeal process has begun.
It's usual and expected. People don't just paste a smile on their face and hop in the van to the pen. They fight to be free. Guilty or innocent.
I think now we might see more of what makes Mr. Sodomsky, Mr. Sodomsky.
I feel the same as most and pray that there is no retrial granted.
It would feel like an attack and brutalization of Jan Roseboro all over again to have this process go back to square one.
Stranger things have happened.
We all need to keep the Judge and jurisprudence in our prayers.
But to expect Roseboro to simply accept his fate without a fight for at least a new trial and ultimately release is foolish on anyone's part.
It's the way it goes.

Ed Gibbs: To The Rescue?

2009-10-13T22:13:00.001-04:00

Ross and Marian Circa 1930 and More......

2009-10-13T21:55:00.003-04:00

Marian Louise Baker. A lovely young woman with a quick smile and a caring heart. She touched many lives in her brief stay among us. Some have never, ever forgotten. And hopefully with the help of some very important new friends, her story will never will be. She suffered hardship and she suffered the ultimate horrific tragedy but she was loved. And that is the most important thing that can be said about Marian Louise Baker. She was loved. And she was loved well.
For what she encountered in her brief days, God placed angels in her path and in her company.

Ross Dalton Baker and his little sister, Marian Louise, in 1930.

Marian often missed New Bloomfield terribly. And being so far from her brother was difficult. She was quoted as saying that she "wished there was a road that led from her new home in Conestoga to his home back in Perry County, so that they could see each other with field glasses."
The love of a sister for her brother and the love he felt for her never lessened and never dissapated.
In July of 2008, Ross joined his sister. No need for wishes or field glasses.
I can't even imagine the smiles for each other :)

The Lancaster Detectives Have Been Given All The Information That I Possess

2009-10-13T16:16:00.001-04:00

I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the Lancaster County detectives twice today. I thank him and the department for taking the time to speak with me and record each and every one of the limited details I could offer them.
As I have stated clearly several times, it is not my place to even consider the truth or veracity of the comment that was posted after my article on Allvoice.com nor do I have any personal knowledge or opinion as to the same.
What impressed me the most was the immediate response I received from the Detective and his professional demeanor.
I realize they get "tips" and calls, letters all the time.
At no time did I feel that I didn't have the Detectives total time and attention.
Where this goes from here is not my business. I have no doubt that this will be handled completely and professionally by the County Detectives which is their norm.
I do pray that no young girl has been preyed upon by anyone. And if there is any truth to what she said, then I'm sure the Detectives and the DA will take care of this.
Lancaster County, you're lucky. You have fine professionals in the County Detectives office. And we already know what you possess in DA Steadman. Be grateful for being so professionally protected and represented.

Lancaster County Detectives

2009-10-13T15:07:00.002-04:00

I'll be speaking for the second time today to one of the Lancaster County Detectives, this afternoon around 3:30 pm. I am grateful for having the opportunity to share all that I know and make the appropriate referrals to them.
I'll update as is appropriate, here.

What A Long Way....

2009-10-12T18:48:00.005-04:00

When I resumed my research into the Marian Baker murder several years ago I did what most people do when they want to go back and start at the beginning. I "Googled".
I "Googled" all of the names of the people involved. I searched for pictures, websites, directory listings. There was virtually nothing.
I guess it would seem silly to some, but I did have a sense of sadness seeing that on the world wide web there wasn't a reference to a young woman who had lived and died all those years ago.
In the age of information technology, there was nothing on the web to even acknowledge that she had existed.
I think it spurned a fear in me that if someone didn't record the story, and the nuances to the whole story, especially the little-known facets of each personality, it would be gone forever.
I remember being so frustrated that work and family obligations prevented me from having the time to travel to Perry County to search for Marian's grave. I wanted to see it, get a picture of her headstone and that of her dear Aunt and Uncle, the O'Donels. I wanted to have a few moments with Marian.
An "angel" from Perry County, whom I have never met, learned of my desire for the pictures.
In the rain, she travelled to the correct cemetery (it could have taken me many more hours to locate the correct cemetery and then locate the graves), and she took the pictures for me and sent them to me. That may seem like not too much of a big deal to some. To me? You've got to be kidding me! A total stranger took her time, on a nasty rainy day to traipse through a cemetery to get some shots of gravesites of people that I have been learning about for years!
I will forever be in her debt. She didn't do it as part of a cemetery research or cataloging project.
She did it for me. And I owe her.
So imagine my reaction a few days ago when I did a Google image search for Marian Louise Baker....
The photos of the headstones were the first to appear.
I sat staring at the monitor for a few minutes, thinking about how far this story has really come in the last several years. It was a sobering moment for sure.
If I never finish all of my research, if I am never able to take one more step forward, I know that this story has begun to breath on it's own.
Marian and what little of her story I've known exists in the world wide web.
Her final resting place has been located and marked on the world wide web.
Because it's important.
Because Marian matters.

Every story has a 'back story'.
The horrific murder and the ensuing trial blare out as the main story here. They always have.
But the 'back story' here is what is most important.
As I have done research over the years, it's not the forensics that have fascinated me or held my attention. It's not the facts of the brutal attack or the testimony of the Medical Examiner that had produced a stirring in my gut and in my heart.
Years ago I found myself foregoing sleep to spend hours on Ancestry and other genealogical sites researching Marian's family. And as I uncovered little facts or more questions, the stirring grew.
I want to know why Marian was given to her maternal aunt and uncle to live.
I want to know why Marian and her little brother Ross were separated and not living with their Mom.
I want to find out if the feelings I've carried for Mrs. Bruce Britcher are justified.
I'm a Mom.
I cannot imagine not living with my children.
I cannot imagine allowing someone else to adopt one of them.
I don't have the facts about those things so I may be judging prematurely.
I am looking at it from a child's eyes. No one loves a child like its Mom.
Every day that I would awaken, living somewhere else, and my Mom would be alive, I'd feel something about not being with her. That may be just my own idiosyncratic reaction.
I am looking at it as a Mom.
I can't imagine having two precious children not living with me.
And if times were tough and I couldn't feed them, you can bet that the separation would be as temporary as God permitted. I'd scrape and crawl to feed my children and care for them.
It would break my heart to later have additional children that lived with me, knowing that I had two precious souls that I no longer hugged on a daily basis.
I have much to learn about the early lives. And I promise that if I find out there were extremely good reasons why the little Baker children were given away, I will be genuinely sorry for the judgement I've made based on limited knowledge.

Marian's story has begun breathing on it's own.
Other people have been paying attention and have graciously shared some of what they know.
There is at least one other person who I am in contact with who shares exactly my feelings as to why this story can't fade away.
We want to make sure no one ever forgets.
Younger generations aren't always as interested in "old news" as we middle aged folks are :)
But there will come a day when they just might be.
And trust me, my children, especially my 24 year old daughter, knows as much about Marian Baker and the case as I do. She has heard every last detail, every new fact I find, every new memory shared with me by others. I swear she is an old soul in a young body :)

It's clear now that "the project" is huge.
And there are many, many facets to it.
The murder is one facet. Ed Gibbs and his life and story and pathology are one.
Marian's life and that of her family are a story of their own.
The effect and impact of her death are a story as well.
One on hand, the story is a true crime retelling.
On the other, there's a love story.
How ironic.
That amidst the horror, the sickness and the pain, there is a love story to be told.

I suspected that that was the case when I read Ross Dalton Baker Smith's obituary.....
He has a granddaughter. And her name is Marian Louise :)

He lived a life of honor and goodness. And never forgot his sister. Because he loved her.

Received From A Reader: To Be Forwarded To DA Steadman

2009-10-12T11:11:00.002-04:00

It's not my place to determine the validity or credibility of the message posted below.
It was sent to me by a reader on another site on which I write, without the regularity that I post here.
I have no idea if this is legitimate or not. I'm waiting to hear back from the sender.
It may be nothing. It may be someone just playing a prank.
That's for the DA to decide.
I just promised that any information that was sent to me would be forwarded to the appropriate people or agency.
I've intentionally not included the sender's name as it appeared at the end of the message for her privacy and protection.
I'll be calling DA Steadman's office today.

This is what was sent to me:

honestly, i know michael roseboro. he had my # and i also called him a lot. im 16 years old and he met me by offering me a ride and went on from there. he seemed like a good guy but he is sexually active with me. he paid me good bits of money for me prosituting. now im in placement in gettysburg and heard about him on the news. he told me his name was Leo, but i saw his photo. he always visited York, Pa to pick me up and go to a motel in the area. i just can't believe this. it's shocking for me, very. he was more like a sneaky, protective guy when he was around me. he one of the least people i thought would do something like this.

A Gorgeous Sunny Morning!

2009-10-11T09:26:00.004-04:00

What a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning!
I'll be posting in earnest later today. My sweet daughter and her wonderful husband are on their way here for the family reunion and I wanted to at least get a few thoughts posted before the day takes off.
I've been working on a schematic of the facts or theories about the Marian Baker murder case that have been amassed so far.
What I've learned is that not everything that's been written is complete, nor can we assume it's accurate.
As much as I love a good mystery, I have come to believe that Ed Gibbs did indeed truthfully confess to at least being responsible for the death of Marian Baker.
Nothing has presented itself thus far to make me or anyone closely tied to the case or the people directly involved believe that anyone else had a hand in her death.
As I said, if anything new or revealing comes up, that can be revisited at that time.
But for now, the basic facts support the claim that Ed Gibbs did indeed kill Marian in a brutal rage. There is so much more to know about Ed and about the events leading up to the day of the murder.
Some who knew Ed personally feel that it was a case of an explosion of rage and frustration.
Some know much more about a side of Ed that was never fully presented to the general public.
He was very complex and disturbed man, that much is fact.
He lied directly to his own defense lawyer until presented with incontrovertible evidence to the contrary on some issues. That much is also fact.
So his confession stands. But it surely is far from the whole story.
Pieces of the puzzle of Ed Gibbs are appearing one piece at a time.
Some feel that the dark side of Ed was seen long before the brutal murder.
He was the ultimate actor. Until his temper got the better of him.

I've been curious for years at the reaction of his wife, Helen.
In the earliest part of their young marriage, they impressed some as being quite in love.
Yes, they were facing stress. Ed was flunking out of college. Money was tight. Their sexual life was backward and a source of frustration.
Life itself was a source of frustration for Gibbs as January 1950 approached.
But Helen Woodward Gibbs returned to her parents' home in New Jersey and never contacted her husband again. Ever, if what we know today is true.
What made her sever all contact with him?
Was it simply her inability to process the horrendous turn her life had taken, finding out, in the public eye, that she was married to a murderer?
Was her parents' control so overbearing that they prevented her from any contact with Ed?
Or did she finally know in her heart what she had suspected for quite some time, that her husband was a sick and twisted man and she welcomed the chance to flee and pretend she never met him?
Many have said that Ed overshot the mark with Helen Woodward.
She was out of his league. And to this day some still wonder how on earth he landed such a beautiful, smart and good woman.
My mother knew Helen. She didn't speak much about her but what little she did say was nothing but complimentary. And it was always said with such a sense of sadness for Helen.
She didn't deserve what Ed Gibbs did to her and her life.
Some have wondered that Helen Woodward Gibbs' absence from the trial, from Lancaster and from life in general was due to the family's desire to prevent anyone from seeing her progress in a pregnancy. No one has ever visited that possibility in earnest.
Was Helen pregnant?
She certainly wanted a child badly.
Despite the financial hardship they were under, she forbade the use of any contraceptives. And anyone can tell you that "interruptus" is about as effective as air.
Did she return to New Jersey pregnant with Ed Gibbs' child?
And if she was, did the pregnancy continue?
Much like in the Roseboro tragedy, what a life altering moment for a child when they discover the fact that they are the flesh and blood of a murderer.
Was adoption an option?
These are just questions that have occurred to me. I have no facts at this point to support any theory one way or the other.
Another question...
I was told that the O'Donels wrote to the Gibbs family several times expressing true Christian forgiveness and that they held the parents in no way responsible for the acts of the son.
No response was ever received.
Why not?
Was it just too excruciatingly painful to even acknowledge the truth of what their son had done by writing to the parents of a young, beautiful girl whose life was beaten out of her by their son?
Or had they just cut ties, much like Helen's family had done?
Done and over with?
My personal thought is this:
They were never able to even approach the concept their son had killed someone. It simply didn't happen. And that was the only defense mechanism that got them through the night.
Florence Gibbs, Ed's mother had to have scared the hell out of people with her reaction at the funeral and "luncheon" at their home afterward.
She was the consummate hostess.
The consummate hostess????
For God's sake, your son is dead. Having been electrocuted via death penalty for bashing the very brains out of a young woman!
And yet, her demeanor was that of being at peace, at having at last the ultimate control over the safety of her son.
She now knew exactly where he was.
He was in a nice neat box and she could tell herself any story she needed to as to how he got there.
Ed passed away. Now, please, have another cup of coffee!
Murder? Oh my, no! No, Ed just passed away!
Florence's neurotic control of Ed as a child was born of love and her fear of anything harming him. Yes it was over the top. It was pathological and robbed Ed of any chance of developing the psychological skills to be an independent, functioning human being.
But it was what it was.
And now, poor Eddie had passed away.
Life must go on.
And if you get a letter mentioning an event that challenges your mental status quo, you simply ignore it. And pour more coffee and straighten your pearls.
From what has been revealed thus far about Ed Gibbs, his childhood and the family pathology, someone was going to die. Sooner or later, someone was going to be the source of frustration, whether sexual or otherwise, that exploded in the psyche of Ed Gibbs.
That course had been charted the day he was conceived.
As someone posted to me....
and I paraphrase.....
Marian Baker wasn't his only victim.
Just the most unlucky.
There is far, far more to learn.

A Quick, Late Post

2009-10-11T00:30:00.002-04:00

It's late and it's been a wicked week here, so this post will be quick!
I have a few things to add to the story, and some additional photos to make it easier for you all to put yourself in the scene. I'm working on a few other avenues of research...oh heck, I'm working on way more than a few! Maybe if I don't look at the enormity of the project I won't freak out as much :) I can hope, can't I?
I really do try to keep some cohesion in the story and the threads both for you and for myself.
I have a rough draft of a time and fact-line for the entire project and am slowly filling in the blanks.
Once it's fairly set I'll create a document and share that as well. It's much like filling in a family tree and finding more and more relatives as you go.
So tomorrow I hope to post more pics, add a few details, a few asides (thanks so much to a very loyal reader who is doing all he or she can to guide me to where I want or need to go!)
At this point it is safe to say that I am still fact finding. There are no answers and I rule nothing out.
Nothing is taken at face value. It is all up for review.
I welcome the new readers from this blog and the other sites where we've been discussing the case. Feel free to add anything at any time. For quite a while I felt I was the only one with a real interest in this "old news". I couldn't have been more wrong.
Have a wonderful night and post to you tomorrow!

A Little Girl, Two Little Boys...and Smiles :)

2009-10-10T09:50:00.004-04:00

I am indebted to a very kind reader who shared this photo with me.
This is Marian Louise Baker and her brother Ross Dalton Baker and their "foster" brother, Orin ODonel in Perry County, Pennsylvania.
The times were simple but life wasn't so simple for the Baker children.
Their smiles are what effect me the most.
No one's life is without blemish or pain. That's part of life.
But this is a snapshot of childrens' smiles :)
There are discrepancies in the information I've researched about exactly when Marian and her brother were taken in by maternal aunts and their husbands. My research into the census records leads me to believe that at the very least they were under the care of the aunts by the time this photo was taken. Hence, the smiles :)
I was never in the ODonel home during Marian's life.
I only know what I was told growing up, and I know the "sense and feel" that was shared about the ODonels.
That is how I know of the love that was shared and given to Marian. That much was portrayed accurately by Gehman in his book.
The Smiths took Ross in and loved him well. I know far less about them but would love to know more. If his life is any indication of how he was raised then handsdown, he was given a gift of second parents equal to what Marian was given.
My research into the early days of the Baker family is quite unfinished.
Many avenues of my research into the totality of this story are unfinished.
Thank you so much to my correspondent on the web for your help. It is invaluable.
I believe you know my intentions are real and without desire to inflict any pain on anyone involved.
I will not participate in anything that will sensationalize this or cause anyone problems.
I am constantly cognizant of the risk of that happening.
I have done my research with respect and pray that anyone interested in the story or my research affords anyone involved that respect.
This isn't fiction. This story is their lives.
I am treading carefully. Please do the same and afford them all respect while maintaining your interest.

Catching Up...

2009-10-07T20:44:00.002-04:00

It's been a very busy two days here. The flu has really impacted the area so we've been restaffing and rescheduling. I really need to thank one or two people when this is all said and done who have come to the rescue :)
I also need to thank a few people who will remain unnamed for driving readers to my blogs. I've become very familiar over the last few months with being able to interpret site stats and separate the wheat from the chaff.
I spent some time this afternoon speaking with a computer programmer who accessed my "stuff" and verified what I had assessed.
The best advertising is free! :) And there have been many, many readers who are now following privately (smart move!) thanks to being recommended to my sites simply from my blogs being mentioned elsewhere on the web.
I've been working with Google Adwords and I've been learning much about it.
It's amazing how you can actually make money from the "buzz" about your blogs!
My Blogger blogs aren't fee-based, so anything in the account is a bonus!

On an important note: Thank you to the reader who has offered pictures of Marian Baker and some of her relatives from back in the 1930's. Your offer is so appreciated.
Remembering Marian's life, separate from her brutal murder, isn't always a given. But seeing her as a small child will be wonderful!
I also hope to make contact with a relative of Ed Gibbs, currently living down south.
More later!

Mike Wants To Do It All Again...LNP @ 18:22 pm

2009-10-05T21:22:00.003-04:00

Now THAT didn't take long, did it?
Sure, let's drag the kids and parents, friends and loved ones through the sickening horror again.
Hey, he can't take much more basketball and BET...come on, give the guy a break.... ;)
If he doesn't stop that complaining, someone might get the idea he's a racist..... and that wouldn't make for fun showers!

Thank You For The Redirect!

2009-10-05T19:53:00.003-04:00

Thank you so much for the reminder and redirect to the forum! It's been a bit busy here and I hadn't checked in on our thread for a while. That is EXACTLY the kind of stuff I'm looking for!
The "real" Ed Gibbs. I'm learning that the book really is very superficial, I assume because it was written "in absentia". There is no way an author could garner the real idiosyncracies or "little things" about those involved and rely so heavily only on the newspaper and police/court records.
The actual truth of the story behind that horrible cold January day in 1950 lies in the little known facts and facets of the personalities of Ed Gibbs and Marian Baker.

I've come to learn, beyond a doubt, that there is far more to the story than anyone was led to believe in both the book and the court proceedings.
As you, my forum friend, knew and shared with me, things were definitely not admitted into the court proceedings by the DA and Hense Brown had no luck at all in shaking Ed's "story".
That gut feeling went to the grave with Mr. Brown.
I am really looking forward to speaking in detail with several people who knew Ed Gibbs personally.
I also have been contacted by two persons who may be willing to open old hurts and speak with me briefly about Marian.
It is clear that she was loved and still is.
Mrs. Florence Gibbs, to me, is a tragic figure. Her son was her life, to the point of quasi-instability. Her fear of losing him helped create a man totally unprepared for real life.
In addition, the pressure to graduate from F&M was extreme.
How sad it is that his parents just didn't give him the adult choice to live his life as he wanted to or felt he needed to in order to stop the growing frustration that needed an outlet.
Many bad decisions were made at many forks in the roads of their lives. Of course hindsight is 20/20.
I believe Mrs. Gibbs would have done it all differently to bring back her son.
She lived the rest of her life with the crime hanging over her head, an empty place at the dinner table and the shame of the community, not to mention the whispers and innuendos that flew after Richard Gehman described her as he did in the book.
All of the coordinates intersected and that point Marian Baker was bludgeoned to death in the woods south of Lancaster.
Many of us remember that these were real human beings. They lived as we did in some cases, with their own particular stations in life and their quirks.
But they bled and hurt the same as we do.
There is no excuse or acceptable reason for what Ed Gibbs did to Marian Baker.
It is unforgivable. And I believe that when he met His Maker, it wasn't an easy passage.
But as my Nanny would have said, and probably did, about him.."God love him. There HAD to be something wrong with him."
I need to address something about my research into the Marian Baker murder.
I am in no way doing this to dig up old pain. I am in no way interested in "mining" people for my own gain or to sensationalize an event that tore people apart and changed their lives forever.
This is my journey on answering questions that I have lived with my whole life.
I will never push or use subterfuge to gain information or knowledge.
When they wish to have me stop asking questions, I will stop.
It's not about that.
That said, I again thank you all so much for helping me learn so much more about Ed Gibbs and Marian Baker.
I couldn't have imagined that all these years later I'd still be researching this and that people would be kind enough to help me.

An aside: I have chosen to not post your comment(s) publicly. I haven't published or rejected any of them to keep you and your online screenname private. The "activity" on my blog just today alone is pathological in number and effort. I have no desire to have any of you get involved in that in any way.
I will read and answer your comments in a blog post rather than publish them. Just know that they have been read and I will acknowledge them in a post :)
Thanks so much!

News And Info In Bits and Pieces

2009-10-04T19:31:00.002-04:00

Hey all :) Just got back from our day out at the beach. Great dinner and made a few stops on the way home, but I have to get a few things done here, then I'll be back.
I knew that my research into the Marian Baker murder might yield new information, in fact, I prayed so. And it's much as I thought it would be. It comes in bits and pieces.
People that knew Ed or Marian have heard about my work and some have offered to speak with me about what they remember or what they know.
I thank them wholeheartedly.
It was a long time ago. I expected many people to have the attitude that it's over and done, why drag that up again. Let it go.
As I shared with you all many times, I can't fully explain why I feel the need to revisit the crime and the scenario involving the timeline that surrounds it all.
But thank you to those who have offered your help. It means so much!
Hopefully I can come back to this tonite. I just have to get my "stuff" done since I played hooky today at the beach lol
Be back later! :)

No Need To Mail Them

2009-10-02T17:47:00.002-04:00

The blogs aren't locked anymore, so there's no need to mail them around :)
As I posted before, I hit the limit of 100 readers wanting access. In fact, it went far over and I didn't feel comfortable picking and choosing who could or couldn't read them, so they're open.
I wish Blogger would do something about that, but I'm not the first one to complain about it.
For some reason the limit of 100 readers to each private blog keeps them working like clock work so it is what it is.

I still have to make the arrangements to meet the friend of a friend of Ed Gibbs. We'll be visiting Ed's friend together. And I promised to loan the friend, not the friend of the friend, my copy of A Murder In Paradise. I trust him with it. Which is saying something. I haven't let that book out of my possession ever before.
I plan to ask permission to tape our conversation but I will keep his identity private if he wishes.
I simply want to know about Ed.
I imagine this meeting is going to be something to remember.

We've Reached The Limits

2009-10-02T09:05:00.000-04:00

Blogger needs to expand their limit on allowed readers for private blogs.
>100= there goes the private blog status!
Oh well.... :)

Meeting A Friend of A Friend.......of Ed Gibbs and Marian Baker

2009-09-28T22:16:00.003-04:00

God Bless the world wide web.
Seriously.
Without it I wouldn't be planning a trip back to Lancaster to meet a new but uncannily close friend.
Without going into the details, he and I came to learn about each other through research I've been doing off and on for the past year or so.
Somehow and for some odd reason, we've developed a friendship that intrigues the both of us, I believe.
I asked for his help on a "project" pulling together loose ends from my research, and he responded wholeheartedly.
Since that time, a second project, my revisiting the Marian Baker murder, caught his attention as well. And out of the blue, he contacted me to let me know he has a friend...who was a good friend of Edward Lester Gibbs.
He also knows someone who can tell me about Marian Baker.
Wow.
I can't wait to meet him.
I think we have much in common.
He's a parent and it's clear he loves his kids, and kids in general. His family has had a very successful and prominent role in the history of Lancaster.
He's a family man, very well known, and philanthropic in his activities.
I promised to loan him a book that he's had problems locating.
There must be a tie between us. I have never, ever considered allowing "that book" out of my possession in forty years :)
Marian Baker was murdered in 1950. So many years have passed.
Any yet, in September of 2009, I have been contacted by people from several states who have information to share with me. They have told me what they know, what they remember, where they have been and what they believe led to the brutal murder.
Some are torn between wanting to share and also wanting me to enjoy the full thrill of the chase.
They give me tips or clues and gently push me in directions I need to go.
I am so grateful to have been contacted by all of them.
I so appreciate the suggestions and tips they've offered to me. They've been down this road before and shared with me some very valuable advice that will open certain doors for me.
Now, I just need some 72 hour days, the ability to teleport to various states and locations and I'll have it made! lol
I'm still "on it". I just have been so preoccupied with classes and homework and work in general that my time has been limited. I'm still searching for that organizational balance I need to get it all done. That goal post is a bit fuzzy :)

A Sad Final Note.....

2009-09-25T20:23:00.002-04:00

Today marked the last official appearance of Michael Roseboro in the Lancaster County court on the docket for his conviction for the brutal murder of his wife, Jan. There will be an appeal, but today marked the true and real end of murder trial.
He faced the court and was officially sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In many ways, there will never be closure. But as he was led away and was lost from sight of those in the courtroom, there was a symbolic, but quiet sound of a heavy door gliding to the jamb. And closing.
That door is now closed.
An appeal will dredge up the horror for Jan's loved ones.
But the People have spoken. And now Mike will stand as the convicted murderer of Jan Binkley Roseboro, for all time.
I pray for peace for all who knew and loved Jan. I pray for comfort for her precious children and siblings.
I pray for peace and comfort for the Roseboro family. They have lost so much as well.
But it is over for those who stand on the sidelines. The circus has packed up and is leaving town.
I also pray that other than a legitimate true crime telling by the author, William Phelps, this dead horse can remain dead. To do otherwise would liken the offender to a vulture picking over the bones. For no other reason than to devour more.
God speed, Jan. I hope in the months and years to come we will all remember all the days you lived more often than we remember the day you died.

Sorry For The Changes! You Will Need To Resend a Request For Access

2009-09-19T18:09:00.000-04:00

Sorry all, if you wish to be granted access to the blogs, you will need to resend a request to me, after all. Access will not be granted to all who request it, I'm sure you all know very well why that is the case, so if I ask you anything about your interest in the blog or if I don't know all of you personally and ask you a few questions, please don't be offended.
Also, Blogger has a cap of 100 readers so I may not be able to allow all who request to read.
So if you'd like to continue reading, please email me with your current email addy and we'll take it from there :)

Word's Out.......

2009-09-14T19:21:00.002-04:00

Well word is apparently "out" about my interest in the Marian Baker murder and the trial and execution of Ed Gibbs. Took long enough lol I've only been dealing with this for the past forty years :) Not quite that long as far as serious research is concerned though.
I've been contacted by a few folks who either knew or know a contact or friend of Ed Gibbs. I'd love to get a personal slant from someone who knew him prior to the attack and killing.
My research into the whereabouts and situation with Helen Woodward Gibbs isn't quite as fruitful.
The wall of protection is still intact but I mean her no harm and no disrespect.
I hadn't checked my stat tracker for a while but it was a very interesting read last night.
The interest in the Marian Baker murder stretches rather far and wide.
Thank you to all who have emailed me with your thoughts and/or information. As always, I will never, ever reveal anything about you unless you direct me to.
Your privacy is safe with me. That goes without saying.
I appreciate your help more than you will ever know :)
More on all of this later tonight :)

The Trail Starts Here

2009-09-12T20:08:00.003-04:00

Hi all!
It's been a damp, rainy and very windy few days here and we've got some coastal flooding to deal with. I had to reschedule some clients yesterday.... I don't travel with my boat, so getting to their waterfront homes wasn't an option lol
I spent the day in class...what a nice change! Being in a classroom, being instructed and inspired by a professor is one of the places where I am most comfortable :) I loved school. My passion for learning really bloomed in Middle School. And I'm not done yet.
I have my BA in Psych/Spanish, my ADN in Professional Registered Nursing and have unfinished terms in Law. Taxes and Finance/Accounting will round out the list.
My current job/business keeps me mobile most of the day. I did worry about how I'd like being "cooped up" for an entire day with the Saturday classes but I worried over nothing :)
Today was wonderful. I'm already looking forward to next week.
And I have homework! LOL Quite a bit, to be honest. But I really am excited about being back in the learning milieu!
Okay, enough of the "station break"........

This past week I've had thoughts of the Marian Baker murder running silently through the back of my mind as I would go about my day. Almost like 'auto-pilot', the thoughts, scenarios and questions just keep coming.
I've allowed all sorts of scenarios to play out. No angle can be discounted until it's checked out and can be disgarded.
I have no idea what my desired result or goal really is right now.
Of course I'd love to have THE REASON, without question or conjecture as to why Marian Baker was bludgeoned to death on that miserable January afternoon in 1950. But Ed Gibbs is dead. And he refused to elaborate even to his defense attorney.
He was filled with anxiety and shame at his sure knowledge that he was not going to graduate as planned. He broached the subject over the Christmas holiday and his Mother became almost hysterical at the thought of him not graduating. Her reaction made him pretend, to her, that he was just joking. That he was surely going to graduate.
Shame was a button with Ed Gibbs.
The murder of Marian Baker would have been the ultimate shame for any of us to admit to.
It would have been enough for any normal or near normal person.
But not for Ed Gibbs.
There is or was something more shameful in his eyes than admitting the brutal and heinouse killing of Marian Baker. So he stuck to his story of killing her on "impulse".
Was it something as simple as Ed making an untoward pass at Marian and she rebuked him, threatening to tell his wife and filing a report with the college?
Or was it more?
What did Ed know that he willingly and steadfastly refused to open up about, even if it could have helped his defense?
Did he really believe that he would be given the death penalty?
Or did he think he'd spend his life in prison, concealing the real and true facts of what went on that day?
Some of the questions that I will pose here and to myself may bother some folks.
It's natural to hate Ed Gibbs, the convicted killer. To say anything nice about him may bother some.
It's natural to hold Marian in high regard. She was a beautiful, kind and unassuming girl from Conestoga. One who people thought the world of. Having to look into the claims that she was indeed a "party girl" almost seems dirty or close to running the risk of sullying her memory.
That is not the intent.
I plan to just let the research lead where it may. I knew neither of them.
I have no judgement of anyone involved.
I know what I learned from my family, the news accounts, the book and others who have been interested in the crime for many years.
I will be posing a few "what if's".... Please do not take offense. There is none intended.
I will be looking at the big picture, from scratch. No question will be excluded.
I welcome any and all additional contact and emails as I have for the past several months.
You know, it's funny. A few years ago when I resumed my research into this case, I did an internet search using the names of most of the people involved. I found nothing. There was nothing online to be found.
That isn't the case today.
But the real facts aren't online. And they aren't in books or newspapers. They live in the minds and memories of those that still remain.
I hope to meet as many of them as I can and share my respect and interest with them.
I don't want anyone to forget Marian. And in an odd way, I don't want anyone to forget Ed either.

It's Building Again :)

2009-09-10T22:43:00.002-04:00

I need to thank an anonymous commenter here for reminding me of NJ.com and the inquiries I had posted there for information about the Gibbs family from Pitman.
I had received a response or two back in August but have been too busy to check in lately.
The comment sent me back there tonight.
Thank you for that redirect! I was given the chance to comment back and forth with someone who clearly is well versed on the facts and information from that time and Ed Gibb's in particular.
I hope to continue that interface as I keep on plugging with that case.
The questions still loom large in my mind. It doesn't add up.
And I can't shake the feeling that if I am able to physically visit sites so important to the people and events involved, something is going to occur to me. I'm going to "get it". Whatever "it" is.
It feels as if there is truly a message out there that I am supposed to receive.
I don't expect a voice from the shadows! I expect a "sense" of an answer.
It may be that I am sent further on the quest for answers. That's fine. As long as I am headed in the right direction.
I spoke with my daughter tonight and she'll be requesting some time off to travel to Pitman with me. We also will be spending time at the Lancaster County Historical Society to view the crime scene photos and any evidence still in existence.
East Hall is gone. But Orange Street is not. Nor is North Oak Avenue in Pitman.
It saddened me to learn tonight that for years, if not still, Ed Gibb's burial site has been unmarked. That had to kill his mother or break her heart.
No matter what happened in his life, he was still her son. She carried him, she raised him.
I have wondered how sad she was after his execution. She lived to be almost ninety years old. That's alot of years to miss your son.

Patience Is A Virtue! Or So They Tell Me! lolol

2009-09-08T21:47:00.002-04:00

I have to apologize, again, still, yet! for not blogging for quite a while. Work has been insane with the end of the summer season arriving, the advent of the second or shoulder season beginning and life in general just being as wacky as it's been for a long, long time!
Just about the time we all assumed that things would quiet down, it flipped. That's not a bad thing, at all, it just leaves me very little time or energy once I get home to actually sit down and blog.
I'm hoping that next week I'll be able to settle on some balance and get back to work on the Marian Baker murder.
The comment(s) about Helen Woodward and others that remember the crime really have intrigued me and yes, I plan to take this far from the beaten path forged by Richard Gehman and conventional wisdom and accepted storyline. I know that some of the postulations may make some folks a bit unhappy or even a bit uncomfortable but to get to the truth you need to look at every possible scenario. You even have to look at the unlikely. Murders aren't always commited with the odds or the usual events leading up to them. Murder itself is abnormal. Murderers' minds don't work like the rest of the population. Sometimes it's even harder to imagine what the victim was thinking as they walked into the time and place that would be their last.
I am extremely intrigued by the seeming disappearance of Helen Woodward Gibbs. No one can just disappear. There is far more to learn in that area.
Thank you for the comments and please email me at any time with any additional information you may have. As always, what you wish me to keep in confidence, I will keep as such!

The Questions Keep Popping Up!

2009-08-28T21:13:00.002-04:00

I haven't had much time lately to really let my mind wander about the events leading up to the murder of Marian Louise Baker, but today, during a very long drive from far on the Eastern Shore back up to Dewey Beach I did a bit of thinking again....
I still am stuck on WHY Marian would get in a car with a man she verbally claimed "made her sick".
I keep going back to the testimony of Mrs. Nancy Stonesifer, her coworker in the Cashier's Office at F & M. She testified that Marian had returned from lunch, never even removed her coat as she sat down briefly at her desk, and commented that she wished she didn't have to go to the bank since she was suddenly swamped with work. She said she was worried that she wouldn't make her hair appointment, which was scheduled for late afternoon, around the supper hour.
Now WHY would Marian suddenly be so relaxed and have so much free time that she would agree to go for a ride with Ed Gibbs so far out of the way of the college?
Ed Gibbs testified that when he finally stopped the car near the Harnish cottage, the last thing Marian said to him, immediately before he reached over and started to strangle her, was the
"scenery looked pretty". None of this makes one lick of sense. Not one bit.
I can't explain it, but there is FAR more to the story than we have been told. And I aim to find out what it is.
I guess I'm back on the case! :)

It's 4:30 a.m. And I'm Awake?

2009-08-28T04:33:00.002-04:00

This is what happens when you go to bed at 9 pm! ;)
I've been up since 3.....

I haven't done much research this past week, due to work demands. It's not a bad thing as far as the business is concerned, there have been some incredible changes and "upgrades" the past two weeks that have made it almost impossible to eek out some time for the computer.
The business has gone in a few new directions and I'm loving it! I'm exhausted, but I'm loving it! lol
That break that I was hoping to take once mid-September hit won't be happening this year.
My classes start the second week of September and I have a few new clients that will need our services on weekends, despite the end of the Summer Rush.
Sundays will be my days to travel, at least in the earliest part of Fall. I will also be trying to rearrange some weekdays to hit the road to PA and other environs.

I won't bore you all with the details, but we've been restructuring our property management/cleaning service/concierge services business and it's pretty exciting! Sometimes things just fall into your lap. I would like to think that in reality, it's a result of the hard work, planning and contacts that we've made along the way. But it could just be providence :)

It's also very important to remove the "fences" in your mind. If you exist with an underlying sense of having or doing or living with no hole in your fence to grow, expand, or allow incredible successful gains, you'll pretty much stay in the same place, having what you have and nothing more.
I guess there's a hole in my fence! :)
I'm not materialistic. I enjoy the personal satisfaction of seeing the business grow as much as any financial growth.

I've also noted the start of my Fall "nesting" behaviors. I've rearranged furniture, deep cleaned, got all of my tart warmers ready for my Fall smells... I love Fall!
I'll be starting the Halloween decorating here by the end of September. I don't do the "cutesy" Halloween stuff. The creepier, the better.
I have a collection of witches that I cherish. That is usually on display all year. I have black spider web drapes that are up as I type.
My daughter has gifted me many times with the neatest Halloween pieces. I haven't found the time yet, over the years to create my Halloween Town. Maybe this year I'll get it started.
I have some notes about a Halloween Town, made of ceramic lit houses, spooky churches, graveyards, barren trees, etc. I haven't really decided where in the house it would be displayed.
I have plenty of room but I need to be able to access it to add to it, modify it, etc.
I may take pictures of the process and post them. We can all share the growth of Halloween Town :)
Well, it's time for more coffee. I may be back to post a bit more before I leave for work.
We're headed down into the furtherest reaches of the Eastern Shore of Maryland today. And then back to Dewey Beach! It's gonna be a great day!

Back At The Keyboard!

2009-08-19T22:36:00.003-04:00

Hi all! It's been a great week and I've finally got enough done around here to feel as if I can take some time to come back to the blogs!
I made a list tonight of all the daytrips or longer roadtrips I want to make related to the Marian Baker murder.
My son asked me a few days ago why I feel the need to go to the areas or sites related to the case and I had to be honest with him.
I think first of all I truly believe I will come away from it all with a sense of what happened. I have no idea if what I'll come away with will be in keeping with the accepted facts and story, or if I will come away with an even greater sense of covert reasons behind the attack and murder south of Lancaster in 1950.
I hope to create a real timeline, as complete as I can make it for Marian Baker and Ed Gibbs both.
It would be even better to be able to document it all photographically. That may be quite difficult with the chance that previous homes no longer exist, new homes being built on the murder site itself, etc.
Another reason that I feel compelled to do this is to simply make sure that as time goes on, there are some folks who remember Marian Baker. And to some extent, Ed Gibbs too.
They were two young people whose paths crossed and ended up in tragedy for both of them.
Two lives unlived.
When the jury returned with the verdict and sentence of death, even the Judge was stunned.
He did his best to hide it, but he was caught off guard.
When he discharged the jury, he never even thanked them for their service. I think that was in part to his being stunned but also to his shock that the death penalty was handed down.
He presided over the trial in its entirety. He didn't see the death penalty coming.
The horrific tragedy was compounded by the death sentence. The sadness was permeating even further and was so much more widespread.
There is and was some compassion for Ed Gibbs and that has to be acknowledged and accepted as well. Normal people don't bludgeon young girls to death.
And Ed wasn't a monster. He was a tormented and overstressed young man. There were many, many blocks in the road that led him to the wooded area south of Lancaster that cold January day.
And that's IF he did it.
I'm not totally convinced just yet.
I sincerely hope to come away from my own form of revisiting it all with a sense of his guilt or his innocence. That may be too much to hope for.
So, I'm making my plans and trying to do it in a cohesive manner. And once I make the trips, one at a time, I'll document it all here and post all the pics I take.
I just wish I would have been pushier about it all when most of the people "in the know" were still alive. This is going to be extremely hard with them gone. But I love a challenge.

I guess my fascination with what really happened to Marian Baker is very similar to my and others questions as to what really happened in the Roseboro back yard in July of 2008.
We know what happened to Jan. But we don't know how it happened or truly why.
Did Mike snap? Or did he really plan it? Where did the blood go? What caused the puncture wound to Jan's head?
Unless Mike confesses or someone steps forward, we may never know.
Or fifty or sixty years from now, someone may be sitting at a computer, blogging about how the case grabbed a hold of them and how they need to make a road trip to get a sense of what really happened that warm, rainy July night in 2008.....

I Feel As If I've Been Playing Hooky!

2009-08-17T21:42:00.002-04:00

Hey all, I feel as if I've been playing hooky lol Of course my blogging isn't my job, nor is it my career, yet! but I am acutely aware that I haven't been hitting the keyboard as much as usual the last few days.
Here's the latest from this end!
I had a few reschedules for this week and it gave me a much welcome chance to spend a good amount of time at home to tackle some much overdue projects!
I'm of the school, " a cluttered house = a cluttered mind". I will never ever be accused of having too little "stuff" or living a barren and simplistic style....
I am very attached to most of my belongings in sentimental ways, but it's time to declutter and get ready for the change in the seasons. I think it's my own form of nesting.
I rearrange furniture. I purge "junk drawers". I like to clean out and declutter right before the change of each season. I just didn't expect it to hit this weekend LOL
So, starting Sunday, I've been working harder at home than I sometimes do on the job. And I love it! It's such a great feeling to look around and see so much accomplished!
There are times when I intentionally schedule "down time" for myself. Those days could include a movie, a day at the beach, a really good book, cooking something I've never made before, online canasta.....But I guess it's my Lancaster County heritage and work ethic that make me "allow" myself an entire day off.
I've been setting things aside for Freecycle, an anticipated yard sale in the Fall, and for Ebay and Craigslist. My to do list is still pages long, but I'm a pretty happy camper tonite :)
And I will get started at the crack of dawn (maybe!) again tomorrow. I am off tomorrow and have tons more to do.
One thing I love about working this hard is how well you sleep afterwards.
I haven't had a Five Hour Energy Shot in days....but I also haven't had one gram of sugar either.
I've learned to read my body and too much sugar really makes me tired and sluggish. So last Tuesday I decided to eliminate it, again.
I've done it lots of times before and sooner or later I cave to an offer of cake or some special recipe someone has made. I know that I would offend them if I decline....you know the rest of the story.
I really don't want to get into the no or low carbohydrate debate with anyone; it gets tedious. And I can only speak for myself and how my system reacts.
But I lived almost zero carbs for three years. My doctor wasn't familiar with Stillman or Atkins and when he saw my lab work he was exuberant.
He told me "whatever it is that you're doing, keep it up!"
Well, an Easter basket from a dear old woman who stood there waiting for me to sample the candy she had so lovingly arranged in that basket, ended the no carb run for three years lol
I had a walking routine also. Six miles a day. Three in the am and three at night. My pace? About 4-4.5 miles an hour. I walk as fast as I can without having to bust out in a sprint.
I'd walk half of it away from home, the other half back....one old farmer, who had watched me for almost a year, finally stopped one day and leaned out the window and smiled at me..."Hey hon, if you'd just keep going in ONE direction, you'd get somewhere!" He laughed and I laughed LOLOL
The humidity finally made me take a break from the walking, but I'm anxious to resume it.
In the meantime, the dreaded treadmill will have to do.
I love walking outdoors, ear buds in place, high energy music blaring in my ears. I do some of my best thinking that way. And not always on purpose.
I remember my daughter going for several jaunts with me a few years back. We watched the progression of the comet in the night sky. That was alot of fun.
So anyway...I'm sugar free, have tons of energy and thankfully the time now to get much done here at home. The weekend and next week will be a different story.
And I start Saturday classes on September 12th.
I think this Fall will be the time of big changes for me.
I'm relearning to think out of the box, and I like it.
I have always looked at life as an adventure, even unintentionally. And I'm looking at it that way again.
So I am back to blogging.
I need to get my notes and thoughts together about several things. The Marian Baker murder in particular.
The trip to Pitman is on hold only because I wanted to get my stuff and my mind in order lol And I think cooler temperatures will make the trip that much more enjoyable. I have heard that New Jersey can be so beautiful in the Fall.
I did find a condensed death notice for Edward Lester Gibb's mother, Florence L. Gibbs.
I'll copy it here and on the Murder in Lancaster County blog. She lived to be 89 years old. She passed away in July of 1993.
I wondered how she lived out her days after her son was electrocuted. Her husband passed years ahead of her. What a tragic thing for any mother to endure. No matter what he did, he was still their son and they loved him completely. As in the Roseboro murder, there were no winners in the Marian Baker murder or Ed Gibb's trial and conviction. His death by electrocution ripped his parents' hearts out. And that is so so sad.

FLORENCE L. GIBBS, 89, of Pitman, died Tuesday at Kennedy Memorial Hospitals/Washington Township Divison.

Mrs. Gibbs attended the First Baptist Church of Woodbury and was a member of the Followers Prayer Group of Gloucester County and the Christian Women's Club of Gloucester County.

Survivors: two nephews.

Services: viewing, 10 a.m. Saturday, Harold E. Haines Funeral Home, 30 W. Holly Ave., Pitman; funeral, 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home; burial, Hillcrest Memorial Park, Hurffville.

Note: Harold E. Haines purchased the S. E. Burkett Funeral Home on Holly Avenue. Burkett was the funeral director that handled the preparation and services for Ed Gibbs, her son, after his electrocution in Pennsylvania.

Touching base.......

2009-08-15T18:32:00.002-04:00

Hey all :) The Saturday rush is over and I can now enjoy some free time to get organized, tackle some work around here and get my thoughts and questions in order about the Marian Louise Baker murder.....
I'm undecided about the trip to Pitman, New Jersey tomorrow. It all depends on how much I get done around here tonight, the weather and a few other variables.
I have a few days off this week, so if I don't go tomorrow, I have some other options.
I'll be back blogging tonight, after I take care of some business here.
Thank you to all who emailed me to request an invitation to the blog. I have you all listed and if I do go private, you will definitely be receiving your invitation :)
Be back later......

Why?

2009-08-14T00:01:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday, January 1oth of 1950, Marian Louise Baker returned to the Cashier's Office from her lunch break in the college cafeteria. She never removed her coat as she sat down at her desk, complaining that she was now so backed up with work that she wished she didn't have to go to the bank. Making college deposits at the bank was a daily part of Marian's job duties. She grabbed her things, a letter to be mailed from Mrs. Stonesifer and her purse and headed to the corner of James and College Avenues to catch the CTC bus to Penn Square. She had returned to the office, from lunch at 1:30 pm.
She was worried that she would be late for or miss her appointment for a permanent wave scheduled for 5:00 or 5:30 that afternoon.
She also needed to pick up her engagment ring from Kay Jewelers, off of Penn Square.
Marian arrived at Penn Square. She picked up her ring, made the bank deposit and then went to the post office.
She hadn't wanted to make this run downtown because she was so backed up with work....
And yet, we are to believe that as she ran her errands, she ran into Ed Gibbs, whose incessant chatter about himself made her sick, and accepted a ride with him supposedly heading back to the college. That part I even have trouble with. He made her sick. That's a pretty strong statement. I can't imagine she wanted to listen to him chatter on the whole way back to campus.
But this is the bigger question for me....
As busy and backed up as she was at 1:30 pm, already worried about not making her hair appointment, when Ed Gibbs pulled up to the light at Prince Street, and he asked Marian if she was in a hurry to get back to the college campus, she said "No." She said NO?????
Ed made a left and they travelled down South Prince Street, clearly away from the direction of the college. It was a cold, gray January day. Not exactly the day for sightseeing. Or nature watching.
Why would Marian have gotten in the car with Ed in the first place if he made her sick?
And if she did get in the car, why was there no fuss about him taking her south of the city when she clearly was flustered about being so busy already in the afternoon?
When that car left the highway and started back the lane to where the cottage was located, why was there no problem, no fight?
He was married, she was engaged. It was the middle of the afternoon of a work day in 1950.
Something is very wrong here.
And why THAT lane? Why THAT property?
How did Ed Gibbs know of that area? Had he been there before?
Did Marian really get a ride from Gibbs?
What happened to her being so busy?
What was being said in the car as he shoved it into "park"?
He said he reached over and choked her with no provocation. He did it on impulse.
She screamed and got out of the car, trying to get away.
He grabbed the lug wrench and went after her.
If he snapped, why wasn't she obliterated?
If he simply wanted her dead, why the wounds on the frontal AND posterior surfaces of her skull? How did the attack happen? Either blow would have rendered her completely unconscious as bone was driven into the brain.
And then we are to believe that Gibbs came back later to try to bury her?
I have alot of work to do.
I need to check records and get myself up to the Historical Society.
I need to read the entire court transcript and see any surviving files from the investigation.
Was the inside of the cottage checked? What about Gibb's car? Was it examined inside?
Somethings aren't making any sense at all....

The String Art That Is My Mind About This...

2009-08-12T21:33:00.002-04:00

Of course, rereading the book has started my mind heading down some familiar roads, but this time there is a difference. I've come up with some thoughts and questions that I never have before.
Shortly after I woke up, showered and got ready for work, I took a few minutes to pull out the copies, from microfiche, of the Lancaster newspapers coverage of Marian's disappearance, the discovery of her mutilated body at the Harnish cottage, the confession, the trial and conviction and ending with Ed Gibb's execution in the electric chair.
I clearly remember the day I made those copies. I sat in the library on Duke Street for hours, reading and scanning the microfiche. I scanned so quickly that the motion of the reader made me dizzy and so nauseated I really thought I was going to be sick.
My husband was with me that day. We weren't married yet, so that tells you how long ago that day was. He had to drive home, I was fit for a bucket.
We were parked on the very top level of the parking garage, the Prince Street one, I think, I'm not exactly sure. I always park on the very top. I love looking out over the city every time. That view never gets old for me.
I remember telling my "boyfriend" to keep me away from the outer wall. There would be no gazing out over the Red Rose City that day for sure.
My copies of the articles are pretty worn. They are at least 30 years old!
Like my copy of "A Murder In Paradise", I always know where that stack of shiny black and white paper is.
I keep it in a special legal brief carrier.
It took me all of two minutes to find it this morning after I poured my first cup of coffee.
I read what I could still make out, and I found a few things that either I never noticed before or skipped over. Some are small details. Some directly contradict the book.
The photos of Marian and her Conestoga family, the aunt and uncle that raised her are very difficult to discern after all these years. There is one photo in which her brother Ross Dalton Baker Smith is standing next to the O'Donels. There is a photo of Marian, smiling broadly, with Edgar Rankin, her fiance, holding her from behind.
There are even photos of the jurors in a group around a table. Their names were published easily and it was said later that those people paid a very high price for their service on the Gibbs jury.
Some tormented them badly for their verdict.
There is also a wide aerial shot of then Route 222 and the land surrounding the Media Heights Golf Course, Mill Creek and the Harnish cottage.
From the time I started working in the area of Lancaster and south, I never drove that general route without looking to my left and wondering if I could find the spot where Ed attacked her.
As a small child, I remember being at a school friend's house on a lane in that area. I think I even wondered then. I'm forty nine years old and I can remember going up the wooded lane to Jack's house, and feeling rather serious for no apparent reason.
I was usually working second shift when I headed toward Willow Street and there was no time to head off on a search through the woods. I wonder now how built up that area is.
I viewed it on Google Earth and there is still Exhibit Farm Road. And a house appears. I don't know it to be a fact but I've wondered if that is the tenant house on the Harnish property from where the Harnish's called the police when they found Marian's body under the corrugated metal behind the cottage.
There are some coincidences that occurred to me today.
Marian lived right down the road from my Mom's childhood home, the home of my Nanny Kelley.
Once I had learned about her, there wasn't a day went by that I didn't look for her house as we drove to and from Nanny's house in Conestoga.
The Harnish's lived in the three hundred block of West Walnut Street in Lancaster and owned the property by Mill Creek. My family lived five houses west of them when my parents purchased the townhouse near the corner of Walnut and Mulberry.
Ed Gibb's wife worked with my Mom at Armstrong Cork Company, later Armstrong World Industries.
Marian was a good friend of my maternal aunt and my Mom.
It was only today that I realized that the Harnish's lived right down the street frpm our house.

In going back over the details as presented in the book and in the Lancaster Newspaper articles, I've started to form a mixed up list of questions in my mind. Tomorrow they will be comitted to paper.
I regret, more than I can say, that I never questioned anyone in my family about that tragedy.
I am sorry I never met Marian's brother Ross Dalton Baker Smith.
I am sorry I never met the O'Donels who cared for her and loved her as if she were their own. She was their own.

My Mom's best friend was a legal secretary for most of her life. Her years on Lawyer's Row, on Duke Street gave her a first hand glimpse at some of the most fascinating cases in Lancaster.
When the final opinion was handed down in the Lisa Michelle Lambert case, by Judge Lawrence Stengel, my Aunt Jean, as we called her, sent me the entire opinion :)
I pored over every word. I should mention that in my senior year of my undergrad studies I did interview for law school. Lawyers and judges are rock stars to me.
I am one of the weirdos that doesn't hate jury duty. When I enter a courthouse, I keep my voice to a whisper, lower my head a bit and show reverence. That's just me :)
I wish I would have spoken to her about the Baker murder and the Gibbs trial. She knew things. She heard plenty. But in all the years I was old enough to comprehend anything, I never once heard her reveal anything out of confidence in any area or in any way.
I can remember, though, her talking about Gibb's defense attorney, Hense Brown, long after the trial was a memory. She said that it was common knowledge that "Hense was NEVER the same." That was reiterated in the book.
He took his unease and frustration of the Gibbs trial with him to his grave.
He never stopped believing that if he just would have more time, he might have gotten Gibbs to tell the whole truth about what happened that cold January Tuesday in 1950.
There WAS more to the story. There IS more to the story.
And I'm not getting any younger here. If I don't give this my best shot now, I never will.

I looked back over my notes that I've written about the murder and the case for years. The one note card is dated from my middle school years.
I'm going to be updating those cards. Adding comments and questions in an effort to try to map out where I should go from here.
I have questions now that I didn't have back then.
I'm wondering about events and decisions from a much older, mature and worldwise stance now.
I'll be posting my progress and my thoughts here as I go.
I'll try to NOT present it haphazardly as string art. But there's always that risk.
When I start to write, it just goes where it goes. It's freeform and it leads to other thoughts and other questions, other memories.
This won't always be a cohesive work of literary research, you can count on that!
It will be my journey to try to find out just what really did happen to Marian Louise Baker in 1950.
My first question today was...
Marian was quoted as having said that Gibbs incessant chatter about himself made her sick.
Why did she get in the car with him after she left the post office?
Why was it okay with her to take a drive south instead of heading back to campus?
If she truly didn't like Gibbs, and this was in 1950, other rules of propriety applied then, why did she allow him to drive her south out of the city, back a wooded lane, when she was wearing Ed Rankin's engagement ring?
Do not assume I'm thinking that Marian was promiscuous. Not for a second.
But I am going somewhere with this. I just don't exactly where just yet.

I do need more information. I need records and data.
One piece of information I do need is a list of all the courses that Gibbs took while at Franklin and Marshall College. I need to see each and every class he registered for. Even those that he eventually dropped or failed.
And I need to see which professors were actually standing in front of students on that Tuesday afternoon. I need to see which professors could be accounted for that day. And which ones may have been off campus with no one to stand as their alibi.
I also will be visiting the Lancaster County Historical Society soon. They have the files, the evidence that remains, the collection that was the Baker murder and the Gibbs trial.
Richard Gehman, the author of the book, stated at the end that he hoped the reason for writing the book was in the pages. He really didn't know he was compelled to write the book.
I think he knew exactly why he was writing the book. And I believe there are vague clues in those pages.
Gehman told the story as it happened, as it was reported and accepted.
But I think he knew more. I think he knew alot more.
And I believe he was hoping that someday, someone was going to read certain lines and phrases in his book and cock their head just a tad to the side and say..."Hmm...I wonder...." .
Well Mr. Gehman, I hope you're watching. My head is a tad to the side. And I'm more than wondering.

I Think I'll Be In Pitman On Sunday Afternoon....

2009-08-11T19:33:00.002-04:00

This is the entrance to the Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery in Hurffville, New Jersey. Edward Lester Gibbs in interred here.
I have had photos of Marian Baker's grave for about a year, thanks to a very dear and new friend from Perry County, PA who braved several days of rain to get the pics for me. She also took pics of the graves of Marian's beloved aunt and uncle who raised her, the O'Donels, who lie next to her.
Her mother, Mrs. Bruce Britcher, is interred in a different cemetery.
Marian is with those that loved her best.
I've never taken the time to check out Pitman. I was there once, on a return trip from the beach, when the "driver" refused to take my advice.
One wrong turn, across the bridge we went and there we were!
As we pulled into a gas station, I looked up and saw the sign.
Welcome to Pitman!
We had to get back to Lancaster County or I'd have spent the day there.
I'm off on Sunday. I have a feeling I just may take a day trip, camera in hand.
This "thing" has gotten a hold of me again....
I hope someday to understand just why I am so intrigued by all of this. It's as if there's an answer out there somewhere, waiting to be revealed.

Revisting "A Murder In Paradise"

2009-08-11T17:05:00.004-04:00

I started to read "A Murder In Paradise" by Richard Gehman again last night. This has to be the hundredth time, if not more.
For a few months the book has been sitting on an end table in my living room. At no time in my life has it ever been too far away from me. I have no idea why I always keep it so handy and close.
When we moved here, it was packed in a box in the one spare bedroom for several months. When the very familiar pangs started up again, making me need to read it one more time, I remember frantically running up the stairs and heading for the packing boxes, stacked high to the ceiling, in many rows.
I knew instinctively what other items I had packed in the same box with the book, so when I popped the top on the fourth or fifth box and saw my grandmother's linen calendar folded and laying on top of the items, I knew I had the right one!
I also remember my husband telling me to do a search on the internet to see if anyone had an additional copy for sale. My copy is very worn by now. I did find two for sale. The prices were astronomical, at least for my bank account!
Inside the front cover of my copy, I had written my mother's name and address in ink. I clearly was attempting to copy her beautiful, flowing cursive, but failed lol
She had kept the book in a chest of drawers in her room that was reserved for some of her favorite and most cherished jewelry. My Mom was a glamour doll and her jewelry was her signature. That and her beauty mark :) (When she had almost a day's worth of surgery for head/neck cancer she awoke and was angrier at the surgeon removing her beauty mark without permission than she was worried about the surgery; that was my Mom!)
The book was kept in an elevated place in her mind and heart, and the fact that she kept it in the jewelry chest of drawers and not on the bookshelves with her hundreds of other books was quite telling. It has always been revered in our family.
My Mom never spoke much about the murder. She spoke only briefly in my presence of Marian.
But I overheard her a few times over the years speaking of Ed Gibbs. Her tone was strong and it was seething. "He said 'She was hard to kill. She didn't want to die.' " The words slid out of her mouth almost with a slight hiss. Over the years I would come to learn how much my Mom truly did harbor hate for Ed Gibbs. It seemed that if she spoke more of him she'd somehow make him more important in the universe than she wanted him to be.
Marian Louise Baker's photo was in an album at my Grandmother's house for as long as I could remember. I can still see her smile and her side pose in a white outfit. She had dark hair, dark eyes and an easy smile.
I clearly didn't recognize her as a member of our family, at least one that I had ever met, so I asked about the picture. "That's Marian Louise Baker, a friend of Aunt Weenie's." That's all that was said for quite a long time. But for some reason, even as a small girl, I always returned to that picture when looking through the photo albums. To this day I don't know why. It would be years before I knew what had happened to Marian.