Solved: The Savage Slaying of a Humble Housekeeper

Mildred Evans, c 1924

— From the Archives: A 1920s Article by Lanie Price —

Dear Reader,

In my last article, I shared with you the tragic and unsettling details of the murder of Mrs. Mildred Evans, the beloved housekeeper who was found dead in the vestibule of Mrs. Clarissa Thompson's townhouse on August 21, 1924. At that time, suspicion fell heavily on two men: Henry Evans, the victim's husband, and Jasper Collins, a handsome handyman with a questionable past. But something didn’t sit right with me—and, thanks to the astute observations of one of our own readers, Mrs. Louise Waites, and your collective input, we have finally uncovered the truth.

This case began with more questions than answers, but it is with great pride that I can now share how we solved the crime and brought the true killer to light.

A Reader’s Revelation: The Crucial Glimpse of Mrs. Evans

After my first article was published, I received a letter from Mrs. Waites, the neighbor who had previously testified to seeing Henry Evans leaving the townhouse around the time of the murder. She expressed doubts that had been gnawing at her since the day of the crime. Upon rereading the account and reflecting on the events, Mrs. Waites realized that she had, in fact, caught a glimpse of Mildred Evans standing in the doorway after Henry had left. This small but critical detail changed everything. If Mrs. Evans was alive after Henry exited the house, then Mr. Evans could not have been the killer.

This revelation refocused attention on Jasper Collins, the handyman who had been seen entering the house earlier that day but who was never seen leaving. Why was he there? And if he hadn’t left through the front door, how did he exit the scene?

Pulling on the Thin Thread: The Psychology of the Crime

At first, Collins seemed like the most likely suspect—after all, his history of seducing wealthy women and his proximity to the crime scene made him a prime candidate. But something kept bothering me. Mrs. Waites had seen him enter the house but never saw him leave. Could it be that Collins had slipped out somehow—perhaps by the roof or back entrance—after the murder?

I began to dig deeper into Collins’ connection to Mrs. Thompson. His presence in the house that day, without an apparent professional reason, hinted at something more personal. And then, the pieces started to come together. Collins had a history of manipulating lonely women for personal gain, and Mrs. Thompson—a recently widowed woman of means—fit that description perfectly. The thread was thin, but it was one worth pulling.

What if Mrs. Evans had discovered their relationship and confronted Mrs. Thompson? Could that have sparked the deadly confrontation that ultimately led to her murder?

The Confrontation: Pushing Mrs. Thompson to Act

With this theory in mind, I decided to approach Mrs. Thompson directly. I wanted to test my hunch. When I met with her, I explained that new evidence had emerged: a neighbor had seen Mrs. Evans alive after Mr. Evans left the house, meaning the police would be shifting their focus. This time, the investigation would point squarely at her.

At first, Mrs. Thompson appeared calm, composed even, as she had been throughout the investigation. But as I pressed further, I could see the cracks beginning to form. I told her that agreeing to be fingerprinted could clear her name once and for all and silence any rumors that might arise. If she was truly innocent, what harm could it do?

Whether out of arrogance or ignorance, Mrs. Thompson agreed to the fingerprinting.

The Truth Emerges: A Match in Blood

It wasn’t long before the results came back—and they were damning. The bloody fingerprints found on the torn letter Mrs. Evans had written to her husband were a match to Clarissa Thompson. At that moment, the truth was undeniable. The police now had the evidence they needed to charge Mrs. Thompson with the murder.

Desperate to escape blame, Mrs. Thompson attempted to point the finger at Jasper Collins, claiming that he had been blackmailing her and was the true killer. But the damage was done. Collins, realizing that Mrs. Thompson was throwing him under the bus, turned state's evidence to save himself. He testified that he had been in the house during the argument between Mrs. Evans and Mr. Evans, and when he came downstairs, he found Mrs. Thompson standing over the body. He fled, leaving his screwdriver behind in his panic, but he had not committed the crime himself.

After Henry Evans was cleared, he recounted the heated argument he had with his wife, Mrs. Evans, on the day of her murder. According to Mr. Evans, he had received a letter from Mrs. Evans demanding that he either find a job or leave their home. This sparked a fierce confrontation between them in the vestibule of Mrs. Thompson's townhouse, their voices echoing through the halls. Mr. Evans, overcome with frustration, tore up the letter and threw the pieces in Mrs. Evans’s face. The fight was so loud that it reached Mrs. Thompson, who was resting upstairs. After throwing the letter at his wife, Mr. Evans stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

This was when Mrs. Thompson intervened. Disturbed by the commotion, she went downstairs to confront Mrs. Evans, who was still shaken by the argument with her husband. Mrs. Thompson, in her authoritative manner, asked Mrs. Evans to keep her personal affairs out of the house and began lecturing her on the virtues of being a good wife, something that, to Mrs. Thompson, seemed perfectly reasonable at the time. However, this condescending advice struck a nerve with Mrs. Evans, who had quietly endured far more than her employer could ever know.

Finally snapping, Mrs. Evans turned to Mrs. Thompson and, with a sharp edge in her voice, told her to mind her own business, "just like I mind mine." The words hung in the air, and Mrs. Thompson instantly understood what Mrs. Evans was implying. Mrs. Evans knew about her affair with Jasper Collins—a dangerous piece of information in the hands of someone she could no longer trust.

What followed was a heated exchange, one that pushed Mrs. Thompson into a state of unthinking panic. Realizing that Mrs. Evans posed a grave threat to her reputation and standing, Mrs. Thompson, in a moment of blind fear, grabbed the nearby lamp and struck Mrs. Evans on the back of the head. The blow incapacitated her, but in a frenzy, Mrs. Thompson wrapped the lamp’s cord around Mrs. Evans’s neck and strangled her, ending her life.

Desperate to cover her tracks, Mrs. Thompson noticed the torn pieces of the letter that Mr. Evans had thrown at Mrs. Evans during their fight. She gathered them up and stuffed them into Mrs. Evans’s mouth, hoping to frame Mr. Evans for the crime and deflect suspicion away from herself. It was a cold calculation made in the heat of the moment, one that would eventually lead to her downfall.

A Case of Class and Deception

It became clear that this case was more than just a crime of passion—it was a tale of power, privilege, and deception. Mrs. Thompson, a woman accustomed to controlling her world, believed that her status could protect her from suspicion. And for a time, it did. But with the help of sharp-eyed readers like Mrs. Waites and our collective determination to uncover the truth, justice was finally served.

Henry Evans has been fully cleared of any wrongdoing, and the real story behind Mrs. Evans’ murder has been laid bare. Jasper Collins, while not guilty of murder, will not escape unscathed—his involvement in blackmail and other unscrupulous activities will follow him, ensuring that his reputation remains tainted.

Lessons Learned: The Power of Persistence

This case reminds us that no matter how tangled the web of lies and misdirection, the truth can always be found if we are persistent enough. It also shows us that even the most powerful can fall when faced with the weight of evidence and justice.

A special congratulations to:

Joyce H of Boston,

who solved the case within record time!

Thank you, all of you, for your insights and contributions to this case. Together, we have helped to solve a mystery that might have otherwise gone cold. And while this chapter comes to a close, I am ever more certain that there are always new stories waiting to be uncovered, new truths to be revealed.

Until next time, stay vigilant, stay curious, and never stop seeking the truth.

Yours in pursuit of the truth,

Lanie Price
Society Reporter for The Harlem Chronicle
30 August 1925

(Note: This case is a work of fiction and the characters involved are wholly imaginary.)