In this, the coroner's inquest of my Great Grandmother's murder; one officer testified, several written reports were read into the record, and jurors reached their verdict in ten minutes.
Ten days earlier, police had been called to the Modern Rooms, by the manager, Mrs.S. Fujita.
Within the coroner's remarks, Mrs. Fujita's statement is paraphrased as follows:
"Mrs. Fujita stated they [Benny Espinsen and Blanche Shepherd] went to the room about 11 P.M on the night of May 9th, 1937. She [Fujita] received a phone call from Miss Owen's sister, Patsy about 10:30 A.M. May 10th, 1937, asking her to call her sister to the phone. [Fujita] went to Miss Owen's roomand knocked on the door several times, receiving no response shetold Miss [Patsy] Owen her sister did not answer and to come over to the hotel. [Mrs. Fujita] then notified the police, Officer Lennon answering the call."
The autopsies were performed by Dr. M. J. Lipp. Cause of death for Blanche was detailed as "gunshot wound of chest, through heart and lungs". For Benny Espinsen, the cause was "bullet wound of chest through heart".
THE CRIME SCENE
"May 10, 1937
Captain McAllister: Re Murder and Suicide Dorothy Owen and Benny Espinsen.
'We received a call at 11:10 A.M. informing us that there was a murder committed at the Modern Rooms, 1116 1/2 Fifth Street. When we arrived there we found Officers Lennon, Webster, and Lyon there. We took charge of the case and sent them back to the Police Station.
'In Room 29 of the Modern Rooms we found Dorothy Owen and Benny Espinsen in bed, dead. Dorothy Owen was stripped excepting a pair of panties. Espinsen was in his underwear. Both were shot through the heart, the bullets going through them. The bullet that went through Espinsen we found in the mattress of the bed after we moved Espinsen's body. The bullet that went through Dorothy Owen we found on the floor of the room near the bed. Also found two empty 32 automatic shells in the bed amongst the covers.
'It is our opinion that Espinson shot Dorothy Owen while she was asleep, and then shot himself. There was a powder burn on Dorothy Owen's left breast where the bullet entered. There were powder marks on Espinsen's left hand and also powder marks on his underwear [undershirt] where the bullet entered his body. There were no holes through the bed clothing. Evidently the shooting took place under the covers as we found powder burns on the top sheet. This evidently deadened the report of the shots as we could not find anyone in this rooming house that heard the reports of the shooting.
'The gun, a 32 Spanish automatic, was found laying along the left side of Dorothy Owen's body. This pistol was turned over to Lee Cox to check for fingerprints. No prints that could be of use were found on the pistol. There were no shells left in the gun after the shooting.This gun is being checked by the State Bureau.
'Les Cox took pictures of the bodies and the bodies were removed by the Coroner's Deputies to Gormley's Undertaking Parlor.
POLICE INTERVIEW WITH FAYE SHEPHERD a/k/a PATSY OWEN
'We talked to Patsy Owen, sister of Dorothy. She told us that at 7:00 P.M. last night Dorothy went to work at the Lee rooms where she was a prostitute. Patsy told us that at 10:30 P.M. last night Dorothy came back to the [Coloma] hotel and told her that she had made $8.00 so far that night, and that now she had an all night date at the Modern Rooms and had a chance to make more money. She told Patsy that she would be home about 4:00A.M.
'Dorothy Owen has been working at the Lee Rooms 923 1/2 Fourth Street for the past three years as a prostitute."
Report signed by Sergeant Ray Peart and Ray Kunz
TESTIMONY OF OFFICER LENNON
Officer John F. Lennon, among the first officers on the scene, who had been sent back to the stationhouse when Peart and Kunz arrived, was called to testify.
Q: "Will you tell the jury in your own words just what your investigation disclosed there ?"
A: "It was May 10th about 11:00 a call come to the Police Station that there was a murder or suicide in the Modern Rooms at 1116 1/2 Fifth Street. The ambulance had already been there, taken there by Officer Webster and Officer Lyons.
I got there and the door and the door of the room was open, and I see this girl Dorothy Owens and Benny Espinsen in bed. They were dead. Of course, in that case, like that, why it is always necessary to call the Coroner immediately, which we did. I also called back the Station and called to Sgt. Peart and Officer Ray Kunz whose duties are to investigate such cases as murder and suicide.
They got there, and this Dorothy Owen's sister was there. She was rather in a hysterical condition, and Officer Peart suggested that I take her, and there was another girl, I think a friend of hers, back to the station and wait until he would return a little later and question her and see if--there was things that he wanted to talk to her about, where she was born, and one thing and another, and if she knew this Filipino[Espinsen] that was with her, and that's about all I know. I left there after a matter of fifteen or twenty minutes. I also called back to the Police Station and called Les Cox to go to the Modern Rooms to take photographs of the room and these two people who were in bed dead."
They got there, and this Dorothy Owen's sister was there. She was rather in a hysterical condition, and Officer Peart suggested that I take her, and there was another girl, I think a friend of hers, back to the station and wait until he would return a little later and question her and see if--there was things that he wanted to talk to her about, where she was born, and one thing and another, and if she knew this Filipino[Espinsen] that was with her, and that's about all I know. I left there after a matter of fifteen or twenty minutes. I also called back to the Police Station and called Les Cox to go to the Modern Rooms to take photographs of the room and these two people who were in bed dead."
Q: " Is that about all you know, Mr.---"
A: "That's about all I know."
Q: "Well, Officer Lennon, the investigation that you made and the rest of the officers names that I have read off, you are all satisfied that Mr. Espinsen murdered Mrs. Owen and then committed suicide?"
A: "Yes. That's our conclusion, yes
Coroner Garibaldi: "Has the District Attorney any questions he wants to ask Officer Lennon ?"
Mr. Pelligrini : "Was the gun in the Filipino's hands?"
Lennon: "No, the gun was laying on the bed on the left hand side."
Pellegrini: "Left hand side ?"
Lennon: "Yes"
Pellegrini: But, he was shot on the left hand side ?"
Lennon: "Well, they were both shot around the heart
Coroner Garibaldi: "We have some pictures, Mr. District Attorney, if you would wish to introduce them here."
Pellegrini: "I don't think it is necessary."
Coroner Garibaldi: "---showing the position of the gun and everything."
Pellegrini: "Oh, they are all satisfied it is murder and suicide."
Pellegrini: "Oh, they are all satisfied it is murder and suicide."
Lennon: "Yes, we are."
Coroner Garibaldi; "That will be all."
The jury retired at 2:50 P.M. and returned with their verdict ten minutes later.
"We, the jurors summoned to appear before the Coroner of Sacramento County, at 1:30 P.M. on the 20th day of May, 1937 to inquire into the cause of the death of said Blanche Emma Shepherd, alias Dorothy Owen and Blanche Morgan having been duly sworn according to law, and having made such inquisition, after inspecting the body and hearing the evidence adduced, upon our oaths, each and all do say that we find that the deceased was named Blanche Emma Shepherd, alias Dorothy Owen and Blanche Morgan, a female, divorced, a native of Utah, age about 26 years, and that she came to her death on the 10th day of May, 1937, by murder.
Signed this 20th day of May, 1937."
Signed this 20th day of May, 1937."
Despite the sworn oath by the jury, there was no way the body of Blanche Shepherd was inspected for this inquest. Gormley Funeral Parlor, had shipped her remains to her family in Spanish Fork, Utah the day after her murder was discovered.
