Circumstantial Evidence

"John Pringle exonerated. Former High School Principal cleared of murder charges."

The Clement Weekly's headline stated. The date was Sept. 18, 1965.

Maggie leaned back in her chair; taking off her glasses, she rubbed her eyes with the thumb and forefinger of her left hand. Her eyes burned from the monotonous scrutiny of the small print of the more than two dozen newspapers that lay on the desk in front of her.

After taking a few minutes break, Maggie leaned back over the ancient desk of the reading room of the local library and continued her scrutiny of the article.

"John Pringle, former Principal of Green Valley High, was cleared of the charge of murder, when a transient was arrested in Romney.

The transient, identified as James Crandall, did have in his possession a watch that had belonged to the victim, Gary Parker.

Gary Parker was an employee of the Highland Golf Club. He was also the son of Jared Parker, mayor of Clement.

Parker's severely beaten body had been discovered in a gully near the Green Valley High School, early Saturday morning Aug. 29, his face badly battered and bruised. A crushed skull, resulting from a blow to the head from a large rock, has been determined to be the cause a death.

Crandall's trial will begin on Monday, Sept. 21 at the Green Valley County Courthouse.

When asked how he felt about being exhanuated of the murder charge by this reporter, Mr. Pringle answered “Relieved, I’m glad that they caught the fiend that murdered this exceptional young man and I hope they punish him to the full extent of the law.”

Parker’s funeral services were on Sept 2 at the Hayden Funeral Home and internment in the Green Valley Cemetery.”



Maggie sighed, as she placed the newspaper on top of the pile of papers she had already read.

"Crandall found guilty, sentence to death!"

The next headline jumped out at her.


“James Crandall, 23, found guilty by a jury of his peers for the murder of Gary Parker, 26 on Sept. 22 in the Green Valley County Courthouse.

When arrested, Crandall had in his possession a watch that belonged to the victim.

Witnesses said that they had seen Crandall and the victim arguing a few days before the murder.

Crandall received the death penalty. The execution is set for December 16, when Crandall will die in the electric chair.”


Circumstantial evidence was all that they had. A watch that could have been anyone’s and a couple of people who claimed to have seen the two men arguing. It was hardly enough to sentence a man to death.


“Mayor’s son’s killer dies in Electric Chair!”

“James Crandall, 23, died at 12:01 a.m. at the Forester State Penitentiary in the electric chair on December 16.

When asked if he had any last words, Crandall insisted that he was innocent.

The family in an undisclosed area held a private service.”


Maggie sat back in her chair and just stared at this last headline. The impact of it had knocked the wind out of her. She had grown up knowing this information but to see it in print, in bold headlines, left her breathless.

The next headline made her angry and sick to her stomach. Dated June 26, 2008 it read…

“Death bed confession! John Pringle admits to murder of Mayor’s son!

“John Pringle, age 78, confessed to the murder of Gary Parker, son of the late Mayor Jared Parker, who died in 1999. Pringle who was the High School Principle at the time of the murder said that he and Parker fought over Parker having an affair with Pringle’s ex-wife. The argument escalated and a fight ensued resulting in Pringle striking Parker with a large rock.

A transient named James Crandall was executed for the murder in December of 1965.”


Maggie had been ten years old in 1965. She had turned eleven on December 16, the day of the execution. She would remember that birthday always. That was the day they had executed her older brother for a murder he had not committed.