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Morning Cup of Murder

The Lonely Hearts Killer - March 18 2023

Morning Cup of Murder

Morning Cup of Murder

Society & Culture, History, Documentary, True Crime

4.7723 Ratings

🗓️ 18 March 2023

⏱️ 8 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

March 18th: Harry F. Powers Executed (1932) The pursuit of love can sometimes place people in the direct path of someone dangerous. On March 18th 1932 a man was sent to the gallows for a prolific career as a Bluebeard. A man who, though found guilty for the murder of 6, may have as many as 50 unknown victims.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Powers, https://murderpedia.org/male.P/p/powers-harry.htm, https://wvexplorer.com/2022/02/21/harry-powers-serial-killer-west-virginia/, http://www.dvrbs.com/ev-badend/wvbluebeard-harryfpowers.htm, https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2019/03/west-virginia-bluebeard.html, https://www.morbidtourism.com/locations/id/606a1c2bc892bc9da3b0864a Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

There were two more murders, 15 miles away.

0:02.6

When police arrived, they found the telephones and electricity lines.

0:06.0

We have a weird homicide.

0:08.8

A scene described by one investigator as reminiscent of a weird...

0:12.0

The pursuit of love can sometimes place people in a direct path of someone dangerous.

0:24.9

On March 18, 1932, a man was sent to the gallows for a prolific career as a blue beard, a man who, though found guilty for the murder of six,

0:33.0

may have as many as 50 unknown victims. So if you like your coffee hot but your bones chilled,

0:40.3

sit back and start your day with a morning cup of murder. Harry F. Powers was born harmed

0:47.8

drenths on November 17, 1893 in the Netherlands. And in 1910, immigrated to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, before moving to West Virginia

0:58.2

in 1926. The following year, Harry, after answering her lonely heart ad, met and married a farm

1:06.8

and grocery store owner named Luella Strother. Despite the fact that he was now a married man, Harry began taking out lonely hearts' ads of his own,

1:17.1

and, much to his delight, became a fairly popular correspondent.

1:23.2

With about 10 to 20 letters arriving each and every single day,

1:28.2

Harry began construction on a garage and basement on his home in Quiet Del, West Virginia.

1:34.7

And when finished, started inviting his new lady friends to come and visit.

1:41.1

Lured with the promise of love, marriage, and security, women started showing up on Harry's

1:47.3

doorstep and walking happily right into his trap. One of his known victims was a woman named

1:55.0

Astra Iker, who began writing letters with a man named Cornelius Orvin Pearson, who began writing letters with a man

2:02.9

she knew as Cornelius Orvin Pearson. A widowed mother of three, Astra was happy to learn that her

2:10.2

new pen pal wanted to come visit her in Park Ridge, Illinois. On June 23, 1931, Astra and Cornelius left her home for several days while a woman named

2:22.4

Elizabeth Abernathy took care of Astra's young children. One day, Elizabeth got a letter claiming that

2:29.5

Cornelius was going to come back and collect the children so that they could join him and their mother on their trip.

...

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