Frances Marion Parker (October 11, 1915 – December 17, 1927) was an American child who was abducted and murdered in Los Angeles, California, in 1927. Her murder was deemed by the Los Angeles Times as "the most horrible crime of the 1920s", and at the time was considered the most horrific crime in the history of California. In later decades, Parker's death was the subject of various murder ballads. Parker went missing on December 15, 1927, after she was dismissed from her classes at Mount Vernon Junior High School in Lafayette Square: an unknown man, posing as an employee of her father, Perry, checked her out of school with the registrar, stating that her father had suffered an accident. The next day, the Parker family received ransom letters demanding $1,500 (equivalent to $28,125 in 2025) in gold. The letters were signed with various titles, including "Fate", "Death", and "The Fox"; and some had words written in Greek. Following the orders of the ransom, Perry Parker—a bank employee—met his daughter's abductor in central Los Angeles on December 17, 1927. Upon the exchange of the money, the assailant drove away, throwing Marion's mutilated body out of his car as he fled. The child had been significantly disfigured, her limbs cut off, her eyes fixed open with wires, and her abdomen disemboweled and stuffed with rags; her limbs were discovered the next day in Elysian Park. Parker's murderer was soon identified as William Edward Hickman (born February 1, 1908), a 19-year-old former co-worker of Perry. Law enforcement officers tracked Hickman throughout the Pacific Northwest over several days, relying on sightings in Albany and Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, where he paid shop-owners with gold certificates given to him in the ransom. He was arrested in Echo, Oregon, on December 22, 1927, and then extradited to California, where he was convicted of Parker's murder. He made a written confession, in which he explained in detail how he strangled Parker, disarticulated her limbs, and disemboweled her. Hickman and his defense claimed that he was insane and that a deity, "Providence", told him to commit the crime. He was one of the first defendants in California to use what was then a new law, which allowed defendants to plead that they were not guilty by reason of insanity. Hickman was convicted and sentenced to death. After an unsuccessful appeal, he was executed by hanging at San Quentin State Prison in October 1928. Marion Parker was survived by her parents; elder brother; and twin sister, Marjorie.
Background
Frances Marion Parker was born October 11, 1915, in Los Angeles, California, to Geraldine (née Heisel) and Perry Marion Parker. She had a twin sister, Marjorie, and one older brother, Perry Jr.
Abduction Parker went missing from Mount Vernon Junior High School, located in the Lafayette Square section of Los Angeles, on December 15, 1927. She was excused from class by the registrar, Mary Holt, after a man, presenting himself as an employee of the bank where Perry Parker worked, claimed that Perry had suffered an automobile accident and wished to see his daughter. The man, apparently unaware of Marion's twin sister, Marjorie, was given possession of Marion. Holt later claimed that she "never would have let Marion go but for the apparent sincerity and disarming manner of the man." Parker was reported missing later that day.
Investigation
Ransom demands The next day, December 16, the first of several ransom letters were delivered via telegram to the Parker home, demanding $1,500 (equivalent to $28,125 in 2025) in $20 gold certificates. All communications by the kidnapper were signed with names such as "Fate," "Death," and "The Fox." The first telegram, addressed from Pasadena, read, "Do positively nothing till you receive special delivery letter," with what appeared to be Marion's signature on it. A second telegram, sent shortly after from Alhambra, read, "Marion secure. Use good judgment. Interference with my plans dangerous." This telegram was signed with the name George Fox. In another of the successive telegrams, it was indicated that "no one will ever see the girl again except the angels in heaven." This letter, signed "Fate," also had the word "Θάνατος," Greek for "death," written at the top. Through the telegram correspondence, a meeting location was established in the late hours of December 16 for Perry to exchange the ransom. Prior to departing, he recorded the serial numbers of each of the bills so they could be identified when used in future exchanges, allowing authorities to track the kidnapper. This first attempt by Perry to deliver the ransom failed when the kidnapper realized that police had followed Perry and were monitoring the anticipated exchange. The kidnapper failed to appear while Perry waited at the location for several hours. Throughout the next day, December 17, the Parker home received numerous further telegrams from the kidnapper, the first of which scolded Perry over the national press attention that Marion's kidnapping had received, as well as for allowing police to spy upon their planned exchange. In the telegram, the kidnapper indicated that December 17 was the "last day" before he would kill Marion. An attached letter, written in Marion's handwriting, pleaded to her father to follow the ransom demands without police involvement. After consulting with authorities, Perry was given permission to meet with the kidnapper alone and without police monitoring, out of fear for his daughter's life. Two further telegrams were sent to the Parker house on the afternoon of December 17. The first, signed "Fox–Fate," began, "P.M. Parker: Please recover your senses. I want your money rather than to kill your child. But so far you have given me no other alternative." The following telegram, signed simply "Fate," read, "Fox is my name. Very sly you know. Set no traps. I'll watch for them. Get this straight! Remember that life hangs by a thread. I have a Gillette ready and am able to handle the situation."
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