Lester Brockelhurst
Spree Killing Case
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
United States
TIME PERIOD
March – May 1937
VICTIMS
3 confirmed
Lester Warfel Brockelhurst Jr., known as "The Crime Tourist," was involved in a series of armed robberies and murders across multiple states from March to May 1937, resulting in the deaths of at least three men. The crime spree spanned Illinois, Texas, and Arkansas, culminating in his apprehension on May 13, 1937. Brockelhurst, alongside his girlfriend Bernice Felton, was charged with first-degree murder, with Brockelhurst ultimately convicted for the final murder and sentenced to death. He was executed by electrocution at the Tucker Unit in Arkansas on March 18, 1938. Significant evidence included eyewitness accounts and ballistic analysis linking him to the murders during the spree.
Brockelhurst is believed to have committed his murders as part of a spree that was fueled by a desire for excitement and financial gain through robbery. Some speculate that his relationship with Bernice Felton played a significant role in his criminal activities, as they worked together during the holdups. Additionally, there are theories that suggest his upbringing in a strict religious environment may have contributed to his violent behavior later in life.
The Crime Tourist: The Story of Lester Brockelhurst
Born for Infamy
Lester Warfel Brockelhurst Jr., also known as "The Crime Tourist" and "The Touring Slayer," was born on January 4, 1914, in Peoria, Illinois. He lived a life that would soon spiral into notoriety, culminating in his execution on March 18, 1938, at the age of 24. This infamous American spree killer embarked on a violent journey with his girlfriend, Bernice Felton, leaving a trail of terror across multiple states in 1937.
Early Life and a Tumultuous Path
Lester's beginnings were humble. He was the first son of Lester Warfel Brockelhurst Sr. and Edyth DuPree, a Mormon couple. The Brockelhurst family relocated to Galesburg, Illinois, shortly after Lester's birth, before settling in Dallas, Texas, in 1926. Here, Lester Sr. started an interior decorating business, and young Lester began his education. He eventually moved back to Illinois, where he graduated from Maquon High School and worked in his father's business.
In Galesburg, Lester became president of the Mormon church's Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association and taught Sunday school. Despite his leadership roles, a pole-vaulting accident prevented him from participating in athletics.
It was during a public speaking contest in Illinois that Lester met Bernice Felton, a competitor who would become his partner both in love and in crime. Despite the 165-mile distance between their homes, the two maintained their relationship through visits and letters.
The Start of a Violent Spree
In January 1935, after a heated argument with his father over finances, Lester hitchhiked to Chicago. There, in a desperate move, he robbed a candy shop. This act led to his arrest and a two-year sentence for armed robbery at Joliet State Penitentiary, later transferred to Illinois State Reformatory in Pontiac. Bernice stayed in touch through letters, and her father's advocacy played a role in Lester's early parole on March 7, 1936.
Once released, Lester worked nearby Bernice's home but struggled financially, thwarting his plans to marry her at Salt Lake City's Mormon Temple. Driven by their circumstances, the couple embarked on a crime spree across 18 states starting on March 31, 1937.
A Trail of Murders
Their spree began ominously. On the day of their disappearance, 47-year-old tailor John Albin Theander vanished along with his car. His body, later discovered on Rockford's outskirts, bore a fatal bullet wound. The couple journeyed to Salt Lake City, then Dallas, and eventually Fort Worth. On April 28, they held up a tavern owned by Jack Griffith. When Griffith resisted, Lester shot him dead.
The pair's next stop was Little Rock, Arkansas. On May 6, they abandoned Theander's car and hitchhiked to Memphis, Tennessee. Victor A. Gates, a wealthy landowner, offered them a ride back to Arkansas. Once there, Lester ended Gates' life with a bullet to the head and dumped his body in a ditch.
Following these murders, the couple committed approximately 40 robberies nationwide without further killings. After robbing a bakery in Philadelphia, they reached Dutchess County, New York. On May 13, a state trooper named Joseph Hunt stopped their car for a missing license plate and discovered a loaded revolver inside. This led to their arrest in Fishkill. Lester confessed to the three murders, likening his capture to that of notorious bank robber Merle Vandenbush.
The Arrest and Legal Proceedings
Held in Poughkeepsie, Brockelhurst faced determination from officials across Illinois, Texas, Arkansas, New York, and federal authorities on where he should be tried. Brockelhurst's frequent fainting spells required sedation, which jail physician George E. Lane attributed to "overexcitement." Meanwhile, Rockford Police's Sheriff Paul Johnson traveled to question Lester about another unsolved murder in Rockton, Illinois.
Ultimately, New York Governor Herbert H. Lehman decided Brockelhurst should be extradited to Arkansas, where prosecutor George Hartje had the strongest case. Hartje announced he would seek death penalties for both Lester and Bernice, prompting Bernice's father to claim Lester had spun a sob story about parole officers pressuring him to marry.
Trial and Execution
Their trial was slated for June 14 in Lonoke, Arkansas. Both Lester and Bernice were placed on suicide watch, kept in separate cells but allowed to share meals. Days before the trial, Lester's attorneys unsuccessfully petitioned for a trial delay. On the trial's eve, a quarrel allowed Bernice to testify against Lester.
The defense argued insanity, but the prosecution presented evidence of his sanity from the State Hospital for Nervous Diseases. Lester was found guilty of Victor Gates' murder and sentenced to the electric chair. He fainted upon the verdict, as did his father. Bernice, however, was acquitted after an 80-minute jury deliberation, to public dismay. Facing federal charges for transporting a stolen car, she received a five-year sentence.
Despite appeals to commute Lester's sentence, the Supreme Court upheld his execution. On March 18, 1938, he was electrocuted. Before his death, Lester gave a 12-minute statement, expressing remorse for his affair with Bernice but insisting on her complicity. His final words were a testament to a tragic love story entwined with crime.
Aftermath
Bernice Felton served her sentence and led a complex life thereafter, marrying twice and raising children. She passed away at 88 in 2007, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with one of America's notorious crime sprees.
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Crime Spree Begins
Lester Brockelhurst and Bernice Felton embark on an 18-state crime spree motivated by robbery.
Jack Griffith Murdered
Brockelhurst shoots and kills tavern owner Jack Griffith during a robbery in Fort Worth, Texas.
Victor Gates Murdered
Brockelhurst kills wealthy landowner Victor Gates in Little Rock, Arkansas, after robbing him.
Arrest of Brockelhurst
Brockelhurst and Felton are arrested in Poughkeepsie, New York, after a traffic stop reveals a loaded gun.
Trial Begins
The trial for Lester Brockelhurst begins in Lonoke, Arkansas, with both defendants under suicide watch.
Brockelhurst Convicted
Lester Brockelhurst is found guilty of the murder of Victor Gates and sentenced to death.
Appeal Denied
The Supreme Court denies an appeal for the commutation of Brockelhurst's death sentence.
Execution of Brockelhurst
Lester Brockelhurst is executed by electrocution at the Tucker Unit in Arkansas.
Lester Warfel Brockelhurst Jr., known as "The Crime Tourist," was involved in a series of armed robberies and murders across multiple states from March to May 1937, resulting in the deaths of at least three men. The crime spree spanned Illinois, Texas, and Arkansas, culminating in his apprehension on May 13, 1937. Brockelhurst, alongside his girlfriend Bernice Felton, was charged with first-degree murder, with Brockelhurst ultimately convicted for the final murder and sentenced to death. He was executed by electrocution at the Tucker Unit in Arkansas on March 18, 1938. Significant evidence included eyewitness accounts and ballistic analysis linking him to the murders during the spree.
Brockelhurst is believed to have committed his murders as part of a spree that was fueled by a desire for excitement and financial gain through robbery. Some speculate that his relationship with Bernice Felton played a significant role in his criminal activities, as they worked together during the holdups. Additionally, there are theories that suggest his upbringing in a strict religious environment may have contributed to his violent behavior later in life.
The Crime Tourist: The Story of Lester Brockelhurst
Born for Infamy
Lester Warfel Brockelhurst Jr., also known as "The Crime Tourist" and "The Touring Slayer," was born on January 4, 1914, in Peoria, Illinois. He lived a life that would soon spiral into notoriety, culminating in his execution on March 18, 1938, at the age of 24. This infamous American spree killer embarked on a violent journey with his girlfriend, Bernice Felton, leaving a trail of terror across multiple states in 1937.
Early Life and a Tumultuous Path
Lester's beginnings were humble. He was the first son of Lester Warfel Brockelhurst Sr. and Edyth DuPree, a Mormon couple. The Brockelhurst family relocated to Galesburg, Illinois, shortly after Lester's birth, before settling in Dallas, Texas, in 1926. Here, Lester Sr. started an interior decorating business, and young Lester began his education. He eventually moved back to Illinois, where he graduated from Maquon High School and worked in his father's business.
In Galesburg, Lester became president of the Mormon church's Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association and taught Sunday school. Despite his leadership roles, a pole-vaulting accident prevented him from participating in athletics.
It was during a public speaking contest in Illinois that Lester met Bernice Felton, a competitor who would become his partner both in love and in crime. Despite the 165-mile distance between their homes, the two maintained their relationship through visits and letters.
The Start of a Violent Spree
In January 1935, after a heated argument with his father over finances, Lester hitchhiked to Chicago. There, in a desperate move, he robbed a candy shop. This act led to his arrest and a two-year sentence for armed robbery at Joliet State Penitentiary, later transferred to Illinois State Reformatory in Pontiac. Bernice stayed in touch through letters, and her father's advocacy played a role in Lester's early parole on March 7, 1936.
Once released, Lester worked nearby Bernice's home but struggled financially, thwarting his plans to marry her at Salt Lake City's Mormon Temple. Driven by their circumstances, the couple embarked on a crime spree across 18 states starting on March 31, 1937.
A Trail of Murders
Their spree began ominously. On the day of their disappearance, 47-year-old tailor John Albin Theander vanished along with his car. His body, later discovered on Rockford's outskirts, bore a fatal bullet wound. The couple journeyed to Salt Lake City, then Dallas, and eventually Fort Worth. On April 28, they held up a tavern owned by Jack Griffith. When Griffith resisted, Lester shot him dead.
The pair's next stop was Little Rock, Arkansas. On May 6, they abandoned Theander's car and hitchhiked to Memphis, Tennessee. Victor A. Gates, a wealthy landowner, offered them a ride back to Arkansas. Once there, Lester ended Gates' life with a bullet to the head and dumped his body in a ditch.
Following these murders, the couple committed approximately 40 robberies nationwide without further killings. After robbing a bakery in Philadelphia, they reached Dutchess County, New York. On May 13, a state trooper named Joseph Hunt stopped their car for a missing license plate and discovered a loaded revolver inside. This led to their arrest in Fishkill. Lester confessed to the three murders, likening his capture to that of notorious bank robber Merle Vandenbush.
The Arrest and Legal Proceedings
Held in Poughkeepsie, Brockelhurst faced determination from officials across Illinois, Texas, Arkansas, New York, and federal authorities on where he should be tried. Brockelhurst's frequent fainting spells required sedation, which jail physician George E. Lane attributed to "overexcitement." Meanwhile, Rockford Police's Sheriff Paul Johnson traveled to question Lester about another unsolved murder in Rockton, Illinois.
Ultimately, New York Governor Herbert H. Lehman decided Brockelhurst should be extradited to Arkansas, where prosecutor George Hartje had the strongest case. Hartje announced he would seek death penalties for both Lester and Bernice, prompting Bernice's father to claim Lester had spun a sob story about parole officers pressuring him to marry.
Trial and Execution
Their trial was slated for June 14 in Lonoke, Arkansas. Both Lester and Bernice were placed on suicide watch, kept in separate cells but allowed to share meals. Days before the trial, Lester's attorneys unsuccessfully petitioned for a trial delay. On the trial's eve, a quarrel allowed Bernice to testify against Lester.
The defense argued insanity, but the prosecution presented evidence of his sanity from the State Hospital for Nervous Diseases. Lester was found guilty of Victor Gates' murder and sentenced to the electric chair. He fainted upon the verdict, as did his father. Bernice, however, was acquitted after an 80-minute jury deliberation, to public dismay. Facing federal charges for transporting a stolen car, she received a five-year sentence.
Despite appeals to commute Lester's sentence, the Supreme Court upheld his execution. On March 18, 1938, he was electrocuted. Before his death, Lester gave a 12-minute statement, expressing remorse for his affair with Bernice but insisting on her complicity. His final words were a testament to a tragic love story entwined with crime.
Aftermath
Bernice Felton served her sentence and led a complex life thereafter, marrying twice and raising children. She passed away at 88 in 2007, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with one of America's notorious crime sprees.
Sources
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
Crime Spree Begins
Lester Brockelhurst and Bernice Felton embark on an 18-state crime spree motivated by robbery.
Jack Griffith Murdered
Brockelhurst shoots and kills tavern owner Jack Griffith during a robbery in Fort Worth, Texas.
Victor Gates Murdered
Brockelhurst kills wealthy landowner Victor Gates in Little Rock, Arkansas, after robbing him.
Arrest of Brockelhurst
Brockelhurst and Felton are arrested in Poughkeepsie, New York, after a traffic stop reveals a loaded gun.
Trial Begins
The trial for Lester Brockelhurst begins in Lonoke, Arkansas, with both defendants under suicide watch.
Brockelhurst Convicted
Lester Brockelhurst is found guilty of the murder of Victor Gates and sentenced to death.
Appeal Denied
The Supreme Court denies an appeal for the commutation of Brockelhurst's death sentence.
Execution of Brockelhurst
Lester Brockelhurst is executed by electrocution at the Tucker Unit in Arkansas.