Three in Family Slain 1933

SANFORD

Posted By: Mary Donahue (email)
Date: 6/1/2009 at 16:12:13

From The Des Moines Sunday Register, 12 Mar 1933:

Three in Family Slain

Photo Caption: Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Sanford of near Reasnor, above, and their daughter, Rosalie, 12, were slain Friday by Mahland Shipley, hired man, a coroner’s jury decided at Reasnor Saturday. Lucille Sanford, 14, only remaining member of the family, discovered the three bodies and that of Shipley, who had committed suicide on her return from Monroe High school Friday evening.

Murder, Suicide Jurors’ Verdict
Inquest in 4 Deaths Held at Reasnor

REASNOR, IA – A coroner’s jury late Saturday decided that Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Sanford and their 12-year-old daughter, Rosalie, were slain Friday by their hired man, Mahland Shipley, who committed suicide.

Members of the jury at the inquest conducted by Coroner E. A. Mc Murray of Newton were T. A. Pickens, Jr., Tracy Haines and L. D. McCall.

Testifies
Lucille Sanford, 14, who returned to her farm home from Monroe High school Friday to find all other members of her family dead, testified that Shipley’s manner had been sullen.

Lucille said Shipley had worked at the Sanford home since last July for his room and board.

Grabbed Gun
Reconstruction of the slaying at the inquest held that Shipley grabbed Sanford’s gun from a corner of the kitchen at 8 a.m. Friday and shot Mrs. Sanford and Rosalie, who were in the kitchen.

Then, according to the reconstruction, Sanford rushed to the house to be met by the armed Shipley. As Sanford retreated toward the barn, he was shot in the back.

Slew Self
Shipley then returned to the kitchen, where he killed himself, according to testimony given to the jury.

There was no evidence of a struggle in the kitchen. Relatives of Shipley live in Allerton and Shenandoah.