Solve It: The Sinister Scene at the Shuttered Studio
Corey McNicol, c. 1926
— From the Archives: A 1920s Article by Lanie Price —
Dear Reader:
The warm autumn air clung to Harlem like a silk scarf as the sun set on the evening of September 13, 1926. The gentle breeze carried the scent of distant woodsmoke, but inside Mr. Corey McNicol’s studio, the atmosphere was far from peaceful. His once-vibrant workspace, filled with the tools of his trade and the portraits of Harlem’s brightest, was now the site of a chilling and violent crime that would leave the community reeling.
The Terrible Scene
As the day dimmed, the soft glow from Mr. McNicol’s studio spilled onto the street through half-drawn curtains. Inside, however, that glow faded to something darker. Mr. McNicol, the celebrated photographer, lay dead beneath a shattered window, blood pooling beneath his head. His broken camera lay in his hand. On the wall, written in his own blood, were the words: “All will be exposed.”
Mr. McNicol’s assistant, Miss Michelle Dupont, said she discovered the body after he failed to meet her for an appointment earlier that day. A heavy tripod, the very tool Mr. McNicol used to create his iconic portraits, lay nearby, its legs stained with blood. The studio itself in disarray—overturned furniture, shattered glass, and papers strewn across the floor.
The Investigation:
Based on the ominous message on the wall, police believed Mr. McNicol's death was linked to a project he’d been working on—an exposé that threatened to reveal dangerous truths about some of Harlem’s most influential figures.
The Suspects
Miss Michelle Dupont – The Ambitious Assistant:
She worked closely with Mr. McNicol for years, but their relationship soured after a bitter dispute. Mr. McNicol had fired her just weeks before his death, accusing her of overstepping her role. She, in turn, claimed that he’d been earning money from her ideas, passing them off as his own.
Miss Dupont didn’t hide her anger but insisted she had no reason to harm him. “Sure, we had our disagreements, but I was done with him, had already moved on. I have my own business now.” Her alibi—that she was working in her home studio—was unverified.
Mr. Wayne McNicol – The Desperate Brother
Mr. Wayne McNicol, the victim’s younger brother, had always been a troubled soul. A struggling writer and a gambler with loansharks dogging his heels, he’d often turned to his older brother for financial help. But his brother, known for his generosity, had finally cut him off.
Eyes reddened with grief, Wayne McNicol told investigators, “Corey and I fought. Of course, we did. But he was my brother. I needed him. I didn’t kill him.”
His alibi was murky at best. He insisted he was “out taking a walk” but had no one to verify his whereabouts.
Mr. Thaddeus Moore – The Novelist Turned Critic
Mr. Moore was a regular fixture in the studio, where the two often discussed their creative pursuits. But Mr. Moore admitted that their friendship had fractured. When asked why, he said, “Corey betrayed his own gift. He was a sellout, but I wasn’t the only one who saw it coming.” His alibi? He was at a literary event at the time of the crime. Witnesses confirmed his presence, but some said he arrived late.
The Clues
The Blood Message:
The chilling words, "All will be exposed,” were written in blood on the wall near his body. Police photos of the message failed to show the one clue investigators hoped for—a fingerprint.
The Camera:
Clutched in Mr. McNicol's hand was his most expensive camera, the lens cracked during the attack.
The Tripod:
The murder weapon bore the fingerprints of the victim and Miss Dupont, but not those of the other suspects.
Papers on the Desk:
They included a parking ticket, a receipt for a pair of gloves from Gimbels department store, and a letter from Mr. Moore, accusing the victim of compromising his artistic integrity to curry favor with rich people in a “base” pursuit of money and fame.
The Disarray in the Studio and Lack of Scandalous Photographs:
The police figured the killer had ransacked the studio searching for compromising photographs and negatives. So they police searched the place themselves, hoping to find anything the killer might’ve missed. When they came up empty, they concluded that the killer had destroyed or stolen the evidence.
The Shattered Window:
A window at the back of the studio was broken, the pieces lying outside the window.
The Unsolved Mystery
As fall turned into winter, the temperatures dropped and the case went cold. The clues seem to point in multiple directions, but each one led investigators to a dead end.
What happened that night? Did he die because he was about to betray others? Or was it because someone betrayed him?
The truth is out there. Help us find it. Look over the evidence, consider the suspects, and share your theory. Perhaps your fresh perspective will be the key to solving the murder of Corey Mr. McNicol.
Yours in pursuit of the truth,
Lanie Price
Society Reporter for The Harlem Chronicle
13 September 1928
(Note: This case is a work of fiction and the characters involved are entirely imaginary.)
