By Cyd Lass
Staff Intern 

The Red Bank verdict is in

Museum visitors 'convict' salesman of 106-year-old double murder in Red Bank, Wyoming WORLAND -This summer the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center opened the temporary exhibit, Ghost Towns and Tales of Our Forgotten Past, to try and answer the 106-year-old question: Who killed Thomas and Edna Jenkins?

 

December 1, 2017

Museum visitors 'convict' salesman of 106-year-old double murder in Red Bank, Wyoming

WORLAND -This summer the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center opened the temporary exhibit, Ghost Towns and Tales of Our Forgotten Past, to try and answer the 106-year-old question: Who killed Thomas and Edna Jenkins?

The exhibit was open from early June to late October. It highlighted several of the state's ghost towns including Kirwin, Arland, Gebo, the Medicine Wheel and Lost Cabin.


But the main thing to draw the discussion of the visitors was the part of the exhibit featuring Red Bank, Wyoming, which in 1911 was in Big Horn County at the time. The population was only 12, but was home to one of the most well-known and disputed murder cases in Wyoming history, according to the exhibit.

According to information gleaned from the exhibit, wyohistory.org and the Worland Grit, the story is of Edna Jenkins, the youngest daughter of ex-governor William A. Richards, who had been married to Thomas Jenkins for barely four months. The two had been found dead by neighbors, Rhoda Speas, and Mary Rebideau after two or so days of not hearing from the couple. After little investigation, the two girls found Mrs. Jenkins in their canyon, dressed in her night gown and bath robe, having been shot three times, twice in the left breast, and once in the head. Mr. Jenkins was found in the bedroom on a mattress, having been shot in the chest. Evidence showed that the shot had set fire to the mattress, which was wet once Tom was found. One theory was that once the fire started, Edna had gone to fetch water to put it out.


Mrs. Jenkins had been found with a revolver in her left hand, and a second beside her.

Within a few days, a three-person jury had come to decide that the case was a murder-suicide in which they claimed that Tom W. Jenkins had shot his wife, then himself, however his initial shots hadn't killed Edna, leading her to shoot herself in the head.


Although this was a final conclusion for the jury, many questions remain unanswered. As far as most friends and family knew, the couple wasn't having any disputes or quarrels, making many question the fact on what would be so serious for the man to become so angered that he would kill both his wife and himself. One or two suggested that it had been a double suicide.

However, Governor Richards started up his own investigation after disagreeing with the jury's verdict. The investigation brought new evidence to light and eventually a new verdict was rendered. The new verdict stated that the victims died at 'the hands of some person or persons unknown.'


Possible suspects included newspaper salesman, Edward T. Payton, who suffered mental problems, and often argued with Governor Richards. The man was in the area of the canyon at the time, and after the death was "so out of his head and caused so much trouble that the sheriff was notified." Payton was often found muttering about the dead woman and often made other remarks that aroused suspicion. The man was briefly held in Big Horn County jail, but was finally let go due to no real evidence held against him.


Alongside multiple other suspects, including Tom O'Day, a former member of the Hole in the Wall gang; and a political adversary of Governor Richards, there is most definitely more evidence pointing toward a double-murder other than suicides.

Governor Richards' investigation went on to show some interesting facts including missing money, a significant detail of both ranch doors being left wide open, though it would have been closed during Tom Jenkins' night milking, suggesting someone was in there. There was also unexplained bullet holes in the wall of the house that were overlooked by the jury, though it would prove there to be a third party. More evidence, though not proven to help the case much, was found as well.

Over the course of months that the Washakie Museum held open the exhibit, they let their visitors play members of the jury as well. The verdicts were fairly close with Payton edging out with the most at 28 percent but Edna Jenkins and odd-jobs man Fullerton, each with 21 percent.

VERDICT TALLIES

Final verdict tallies, with a total of 229 were:

Edna, with 21 percent of the votes

Payton with 28 percent

Fullerton with 21 percent; according to wyohistory.org, "Fullerton, nicknamed Packrat Murphy, was an odd-jobs man around the ranch. According to local lore, he had been attracted to Edna and was reportedly known to be a thief in the area."

O'Day with 12 percent

And other, unnamed suspects with 18 percent. Unnamed suspects according to the Washakie Museum jury included a hit man hired by Gov. Richards, or a political adversary of Richards.

 
 

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