The opening scene in the first Natchez Ranger book is set at Windsor Ruins.
The Windsor plantation home was built between 1859 and 1861 and has a tragic history. Builder Smith Daniell died two weeks after moving in and during the Civil War, a Union soldier was shot in the front doorway. Then in February 1890, a guest left a lit cigar on a second-floor balcony and the house burned to the ground except for these twenty-three columns.
Windsor Ruins are located near Alcorn State University on a dark and winding road.
I am loving my research about Natchez and the surrounding area!
Now on to last week’s Mystery Question:
- Security cameras caught three burglars breaking into and robbing a restaurant. When police failed to catch the burglars, the restaurant owner used the videos and text overlays to spoof the burglars. The video ends with a caption that says the restaurant takes full responsibility for the crazy things people do in quest of our food.
- A man was charged with trying to electrocute his father after finding out he was his father’s sole beneficiary. He attached two wires to his father’s chest and the elderly man passed out briefly. When the son left the room, the man escaped and called the police.
- A woman tried to fatally poison her husband not once, but twice, by putting anti-freeze in his wine. When the ambulance arrived she handed the paramedics a note, supposedly written by her 70-something husband stating he didn’t want to be resuscitated because he wanted to die with “dignerty.” When asked to spell dignity, she spelled it “dignerty”. The kicker though were texts between the woman and her daughter detailing how they planned to kill him.
- In 1999, a woman was found dead with a cassette recorder in one hand and a gun in the other. When the police arrived, they pressed play on the cassette and heard her state she had nothing to live for, and then there was a gunshot. Instead of ruling the death a suicide, the police arrested the husband after learning he would inherit over a million dollars from her death. Why did they even suspect foul play? Who rewound the cassette tape?
And the answer is…#4! You can see the commercial from #1 on YouTube.
And now this week’s Mystery Question: As usual three of the following stories are true and I made up one. Can you figure out which one I made up? Leave your answers in the comments.
- A hapless criminal robs a newsstand with a toy pistol, then in his getaway, he pulls his ski mask off in full view of the security camera just before he knocks over a stack of drinks. Scrambling up, he runs to the door and can’t open it because he’s pushing instead of pulling.
- In the 1940s Bud and Jack got into a feud over a property line dispute in Tennessee. After a particularly nasty argument Jack disappeared and a few weeks later a badly decomposed body was found. It was the approximate size of the missing man and the police arrested Bud. Eleven years later Bud is released from prison because Jack was found alive and doing well in Florida.
- Police posted an appeal on Facebook to a criminal on the run. It proved to be too much for him to resist and he taunted them, saying, “Haha, catch me if you can.” Unfortunately for him, he forgot to turn off location tracking.
- After an online dating relationship went south, firemen were called to the house of the man involved. It seems the ex-girlfriend had gotten stuck in his chimney while trying to break into his house.
Okay, Super Sleuths, which story did I make up? Leave your answers in the comments and I’ll enter you in a drawing for a book from my library!
[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Check out the dumb things crooks do. Can you guess which is true and which one I made up? I’m giving away a book from my library to someone who leaves a comment![/tweet_box]
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Comments 48
3
Author
We’ll see, Mindy! Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
I pick number 4 because it’s the most frightening, and I certainly hope that chimney incident didn’t happen in real life!
Author
We’ll see, Priscilla. That would be an awful thing to have happen! Thanks for stopping by.
I’m guessing #4 this time…
Author
Hi Linda! Looks like #4 is popular today. 😉 Thanks for dropping by.
#1
Author
Lisa, we’ll see…thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I doubt you would choose #4 two weeks in a row, but that sounds particularly fantastic (and embarrassing if true). I’m going with #3 that the goof taunted on Facebook.
Author
Now, Delores, you know I’m apt to do almost anything. lol But we’ll see if it’s 3 or 4 next week. Thanks for stopping by.
#4
Author
Wow, Christine, #4 is very popular! 😉 Thanks for dropping by.
I’ll go with #4. There are easier ways to break in-and I don’t think that anyone could get down our chimney-not even Santa Claus!
I’ll go with #4. I don’t think anyone could get down our chimney, not even Santa Claus!
Author
I like your reasoning, Mary. 😉 We’ll see next week. Thanks for dropping in and commenting!
#3…this week was really hard; I could see all four actually happening!
Author
Hi Heather! So glad you think they are hard. Do you know how hard it is to come up with something as dumb as some of these crooks do?? 😉 Thanks for stopping by.
All of these could be real! I’m going with #3.
Author
And just think, 3 of them are actually real! Thanks for stopping by.
I guessing #3 this week. Thanks for posting these, I really enjoy them!
Author
So glad you enjoy them, Beth! And thanks for stopping by and commenting!
I am guessing #3
Author
Three and four seem to be the popular answers this week, Stella. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
I’m guessing #4.
Author
Hi Caryl! We’ll see next week! 😉 And thanks for stopping by.
I’m going with #4. I keep thinking about each of them and see “stupid” written over all of them.
Author
see “stupid” written over all of them–love it, Edward! Thanks for chiming in!
I’m going out on a limb and pick #2. There was no DNA evidence back then.
Author
Hmmm, good deductions, Perianne…we’ll see next week! Thanks for stopping by.
I think #3 this week.
Author
We’ll see, Gloria. There seems to be a tie between #4 and #3…thanks for stopping by!
I will choose #1 because most news stands are outside so there wouldn’t be a door to have to get out!
Author
I like your deductions, Shelia. And we’ll see next week if they are correct! Thanks for dropping by.
I’m guessing # 1. . . Thanks for the opportunity to win a print copy of one of your books! Take care. Lual Krautter krautter12ATbresnanDOTnet
Author
Hi Lual! Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. We’ll see next week if you’re correct. 🙂
Wow. This is a particularly dumb set of dumb criminals this week. Amazing what people will do. I am going to guess #1 this week, simply because I hope no one would do that many dumb things in a row while trying to commit a crime (which is also dumb!!).
Author
I like the way you think, Diane! We’ll see next week! Thanks for stopping by.
#4
Author
We’ll see, Martha. Number 4 has a lot of votes this week. Thanks for stopping by.
I’ll guess #3, also.
Author
Hi Paula! And #3 also has quite a few votes. Thanks for stopping by!
I’m going to be different and go with number two.
Author
It might pay off for you, Jeanna! We’ll see next week. Thanks for stopping by.
4
Author
Another one for #4, Lucy! It is very popular. Thanks for stopping by.
HA…I can’t believe I’m two for two on my guesses! A miracle indeed 🙂 The picture of the Natcez ruins envokes a story spark I bet, looks mysterious and a bit spooky. Glad you’re having fun with your novel. I think the research part would be the most fun for me if I were to ever take up writing. But I can almost guess that those rabbit trails could take you off course too 🙂
For my pick this week, I did a random number picker program (for real)…and it chose #3 for me. So we’ll see if Mr. Random is correct 😉 All of these could be right!
Author
Yes, we’ll see if Mr. Random is a good picker, Trixi! I love the research best unless the words are flowing and then I love that best. lol Thanks for stopping by!
#1
Author
We’ll see, Patricia, we’ll see.