The questioning attorney was Prosecutor Azariah M. Beekman. The deponent, Dr. John F. Anderson, testified that he was "in charge of the laboratories of J.R. Squibb & Sons" and recounted his forensic analysis of five soil samples from the scene of the murder (Anderson 200). The main goal of the analysis was to determine the blood content of the soil to surmise whether Mrs. Mills' throat was cut before or after she was shot in the head. The analysis determined that all five soil samples combined only contained "approximately... 0.8 pints of blood" (Anderson 203). Dr. Anderson then testified that perimortem carotid bleeding would produce "at least 6.1 pints of blood," while postmortem bleeding would produce "as little as one pint" of blood (Anderson 204). Thus, Dr. Anderson concluded that it was very likely that "Mrs. Mills was shot, before her throat was cut" (Anderson 204).

In my opinion, this is an excellent source for my background research for several reasons. First and foremost, it consists of first-hand legal testimony, which lends it substantial credibility and authenticity. Further, it provides a detailed account of forensic analysis conducted during the initial investigation. Though other sources all attest that it was determined that Mrs. Mills' throat injuries were sustained postmortem, this source demonstrates and explains how that conclusion was reached, lending me invaluable perspective that has greatly aided my understanding of the case.

As this source is a file within a collection, the link provided doesn't go directly to the individual source. To access this source from the link, click the "Box5 Depositions" button. The file for this source should appear at the top of the list, which is arranged alphabetically by the last names of the deponents. The same can be done for Research Source Two.

Works Cited

Anderson, John F. Interview by Azariah M. Beekman. Depositions, Interviews, and Statements: Texts from Box 5 of The Paper Documents Collection of Mr. George Wilson, 21 Nov. 1922, www.nbfpl.org/george-wilson-collection.

Smith was also asked about the autopsy of Reverend Hall, in which he was also a participant. The body was in similar condition to that of Mrs. Mills, but with some interesting differences. One such difference was the presence of "quite a number of... ante mortem scratches and wounds" on his hands (Smith 121). Another difference was the path of the fatal bullet, which, unlike the bullets that killed Mrs. Mills, entered "just above the hairline" before "going through the brain and medulla" and exiting "out the back of his neck" (Smith 121). From this observation, Dr. Smith hypothesized that Hall attempted to duck out of the bullet's path (Smith 122).

The revelations of Dr. Smith's testimony are especially valuable to my research. As with Source One, this source provides a direct, first-hand insight into the case from the perspective of a participating forensic specialist. It also describes the evidence of the case in very specific detail, which is critical to my goal of understanding the case on the most fundamental level.

Works Cited

Smith, Arthur L. Interview by Wilbur A. Mott & Azariah M. Beekman. Depositions, Interviews, and Statements: Texts from Box 5 of The Paper Documents Collection of Mr. George Wilson, 21 Nov. 1922, www.nbfpl.org/george-wilson-collection.

This source is important to my research for a few different reasons, but mainly because it enhances my understanding of the case. It can be difficult to piece details together from fragmented court testimonies and sensational true crime pieces written decades later, so a news article from the time that explains the most important aspects of the case in a way that is easy to understand is an especially useful piece of perspective. This is especially true concerning the initial 1922 investigation, which is mostly overlooked in contemporary sources.

Works Cited

The New York Herald. "Mrs. Hall Demands to be Put on Stand." The New York Herald, 5 Nov. 1922, p. 3. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045774/1922-11-05/ed-1/seq-3/.

Interestingly, I first read of Julius Bolyog and his claims in the journal article by Mary S. Hartman of Rutgers University, the article I used for my proposal. When I came across the transcripts in the New Brunswick Free Public Library's collection, it was a golden opportunity. While far from conclusive, this source and its revelations add yet another perspective to the countless stories and claims surrounding this case. This source supports the general sentiment surrounding the case, that the murders were most likely contracted by Mrs. Mills, but both the investigation and trial were severely botched. Still, evidence remains elusive, nowhere near enough to dispel reasonable doubt.

Works Cited

"[Hall Mills WINS Broadcast]." Hosted by Virgil Scudder, 1969. New Brunswick Free Public Library Hall-Mills Murder Case Collection, www.nbfpl.org/local-history/hall-mills-murder-radio-broadcast.

While clearly opinionated and staunchly both defensive of Mrs. Mills and condemning of Mrs. Gibson, this article provides a good piece of perspective both of the case's failures and of its legacy in the following decades. It also provides a good summary of the case in general and the 1926 trial, providing extra explanations ommitted in earlier sources due to their being common knowledge at the time. Using this and my other sources, I have a thorough understanding of the murders, the initial 1922 investigation, and the theatrical 1926 trial. This knowledge should be invaluable as the project progresses.

Works Cited

New York Times. "Was the Murderer in the Jury Box?; The Minister and the Choir Singer." The New York Times, 2 Feb. 1964, p. 1, www.nytimes.com/1964/02/02/archives/was-the-murderer-in-the-jury-box-the-minister-and-the-choir-singer.html.

1. First, the scale of the sketch to my miniature reconstruction, which is denoted as 1/2 inch for every quarter-inch square. In other words, 1:2.

2. Second, the scale of the sketch approximated to a life-sized crime scene. I calculated this based on the estimated height of Reverend Mills compared to the height of the doll, arriving at a ratio of 1:8.625. Combined with the existing 1:2 ratio, this resulted in a final scale of 1:17.25 from the sketch to a possible real-life crime scene.

Throughout the sketch, the measurements are given in the order of (reconstruction; real-life).

As my scene was composed of 6 in x 6 in grass squares, I used a rectangular coordinate style for my sketch. However, I utilized two sets of parallel baselines to keep the sketch from becoming inundated with lines and virtually illegible.

Perhaps most obviously, DNA evidence could have made a big difference. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the double helix was definitively discovered, and it wasn’t until 1985 that Sir Alec Jeffreys and his colleagues discovered DNA loci and realized their potential for forensic identification (Saad, 2005, p. 130). Touch DNA, specifically, wasn’t considered until the late 90s (van Oorschot & Jones, 1997, p. 767). Applied to the Hall-Mills case, touch DNA in particular could have been plentiful. As the bodies of Reverend Hall and Mrs. Mills were doubtlessly arranged postmortem, their clothing would have been an excellent potential source of touch DNA. The love letters strewn around the bodies would also have been a good potential source, as would Reverend Hall’s calling card propped against his foot.

Advances in fingerprint analysis could have also aided the Hall-Mills murder investigation. A fingerprint alleged to belong to Willie Stevens, Mrs. Hall’s brother and one of the potential suspects, was found on the calling card, but its integrity was challenged and it was ultimately not enough to prove Stevens’ guilt. Advances in fingerprint discovery and analysis such as the use of alternate light sources, new lifting materials (such as gels), electrostatic dust print lifting, and ancillary computer technology could have resulted in both more sources of fingerprints and better quality of fingerprint impressions recovered.

Forensic pathology is another area that could have benefitted from modern developments. The first autopsies of the victims failed to notice that Mrs. Mills’ vocal cords had been removed and reportedly also failed to make note of the caliber of the bullets recovered (New York Times, 1926, p. 2). Such oversights, though still possible today, are much less likely due to advances in medical knowledge, better standards and training for forensic pathologists, better medical instruments, and new medical imaging methods.

Forensic accounting is an area of particular significance to the Hall-Mills case. Not surprisingly as she was a wealthy heiress, much of the purported evidence implicating Mrs. Hall in the murders is financial. The decades-later testimony of Julius Bolyog alleges suspicious transactions between Mrs. Hall and potential hitmen. Mrs. Hall was also accused throughout the trial of attempting to bribe potential witnesses. Reverend Hall was also in charge of the allowance given to his brother-in-law and suspect Willie Stevens, establishing a clear financial motive. Developments in record-keeping, banking, and accounting in general could have provided better insight into Mrs. Hall’s finances, either vindicating or implicating her in the crime.

Unfortunately, the Hall-Mills investigation was hampered by the insufficient technology and techniques of its time. They had neither the tools nor procedures to ensure an accurate, meticulous, scientific forensic investigation, dooming their efforts from the start. Though theories abound, the case remains unsolved to this day. It is a grim reminder of the importance of meticulousness, thoroughness, and integrity in forensic investigations.

References

Saad, R. (2005, April). Discovery, development, and current applications of DNA identity testing. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 18(2), 130-133. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/08998280.2005.11928051

van Oorschot, R., & Jones, M. K. (1997, June 19). DNA fingerprints from fingerprints. Nature, 387, 767. https://doi.org/10.1038/42838

The New York Times. Hall autopsy mum on bullet calibre; Failure to note the type may have important bearing on new investigation. (1926, August 4). The New York Times, p. 2. https://www.nytimes.com/1926/08/04/archives/hall-autopsy-mum-on-bullet-calibre-failure-to-note-the-type-may.html