Timothy O'Bryan

popular name: Willie Marfeo

date_of_death: July 13, 1966

age: 40

cause_of_death: Gunshot wounds from mob hit

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: Willie Marfeo was a New England mobster who operating his card games and dice games in various locations in Providence, Rhode Island. In the early 1960s Willie was doing quite well - well enough to loudly brag that he didn't need Raymond Patriarca and refused to pay his weekly "tribute" money. To add insult to injury Willie also refused to pay his gambling debts to the Jewish bookmakers that worked for Raymond. This incensed Raymond so much that he order a hit on Willie Marfeo. Luckily for Willie, for one reason or another, several contracts for his life were set in play only to be called off due to external circumstances. On July 13, 1966 a gunman burst into the Korner Kitchen restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island and ordered everyone except Willie to lay down on the floor. The unidentified gunman then forced Willie into the phone booth and filled him with 4 shotgun blasts. Based on notorious mob hitman Joseph "The Animal" Barboza's testimony, Raymond Patriarca and underboss Enrico "Henry" Tameleo were indicted in 1967 for the murder of Providence bookmaker Willie Marfeo. Patriarca was convicted and began serving time in 1969 during which time Gennaro "Jerry" Angiulo served as acting boss. Patriarca resumed control of the family after his release from prison in 1974.

popular name: Charles Lawson

date_of_death: December 25, 1929

age: 43

cause_of_death: Suicide by Gun

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: Charles Lawson was a North Carolina tobacco farmer born on May 10, 1886, who became infamously known for the tragic and shocking murders of his own family on Christmas Day in 1929 in Germanton, North Carolina. Lawson, reportedly a hardworking man, had recently moved his wife, Fannie, and their seven children into a new home and was thought to be relatively prosperous. Just days before the killings, he took his family to town to buy new clothes and have a formal family portrait taken—an unusual gesture that later seemed eerily significant. On December 25, 1929, Lawson brutally murdered his wife and six of their children before turning the shotgun on himself. Only his eldest son, Arthur, survived, as he had been sent into town on an errand. The motive behind the murders has remained a subject of speculation for decades, with theories ranging from financial stress and mental illness to dark rumors of incest. The case has since become a haunting part of North Carolina folklore, inspiring books, songs, and documentaries. Charles Lawson and his entire family were all laid to rest is one large grave at the Browder Family Cemetery in Germantown, North Carolina.

popular name: Henry Bedard, Jr.

date_of_death: December 16, 1974

age: 15

cause_of_death: Homicide - blunt force trauma

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: Henry E. Bedard Jr. was a 15‑year‑old sophomore at Swampscott High School in Massachusetts. He was active in school sports—playing youth baseball and "Big Blue" football—and also worked at his father’s service station. Henry was considered a beloved member of his community, known for spending time with family and friends. On December 16, 1974, Henry was last seen after school doing some Christmas shopping. He stopped at a CVS in Vinnin Square, buying perfume as a gift for his sister. After leaving the mall, witnesses (including Swampscott Police Lieutenant Peter Cassidy) saw him walking along Paradise Road and entering a wooded area near the town’s Department of Public Works yard, a place known locally as “Swampscott View” or “Kite Hill.” The next day his body was discovered in that wooded area, behind the DPW building, under a pile of leaves. He had been severely beaten to death. Investigators found a Louisville Slugger baseball bat near the body—31‑inch, wooden—with distinctive carvings or markings on the handle, possibly Roman numerals or letters. The bat is believed to be a key piece of evidence. Despite investigations, including interviewing dozens of people, reviewing the evidence, and even exhuming Henry’s body recently to run updated forensic tests (such as DNA) and autopsy work, no one has been charged in his murder. The case remains unsolved half a century later with no suspect and no motive.