KY KY - Betty Gail Brown, 19, Lexington, 27 Oct 1961

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los2188

los2188

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Very interesting story with many twists and turns...

101108BettyBrown.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg
Betty Gail Brown’s murder 50 years ago still unsolved.

Nineteen-year-old Betty Gail Brown didn't believe in the death penalty. In an essay she wrote while a student at Transylvania University in Lexington, Brown stated: “When a man commits a crime, he no longer has the right to liberty, but his right of life should never be taken away from him.” Her belief that criminals, even murderers, should be shown compassion and allowed to become productive members of society was simply stated in her essay. One may wonder, though, if Betty Gail’s stance would still apply to the person who murdered her in the early hours of Oct. 27, 1961.

Her body was found in her car in the driveway of Transylvania's Old Morrison early in the morning of Oct. 27, 1961. According to a 1984 Herald-Leader article, Brown's car showed signs of a violent struggle. But the only marks on her body were bruises on the left side of her neck — where the straps of her brassiere had been twisted to strangle her — and a small cut and bruise above her left eye and a scalp laceration. Her car keys were found in the back seat. Blood was on the dashboard and on the window next to the body.

<modsnip>

Four years later, a drifter and former horse groom named Alex Arnold confessed to the crime. But when the case went to trial in October 1965, the jury could not reach a verdict. Arnold was never retried.

Unsolved for more than 50 years, Betty Gail&#8217;s murder is still being investigated by the LPD, but as time passes leads become harder to find.

bgbsecondary.jpg

http://www.kyforward.com/2012/01/co...on-transy-campus-50-years-ago-still-unsolved/
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/11/08/1515054/lexington-police-exploring-new.html
 
Was Arnold ever polygraphed? I'm trying to figure out how she removed her bra without taking her blouse off; if she'd been fooling around with someone, I wouldn't think she'd just put her blouse back on and leave her bra off. Today maybe but not back in 1961. She seems to have had a good reputation. Puzzling.
 
Stella said:
Was Arnold ever polygraphed? I'm trying to figure out how she removed her bra without taking her blouse off; if she'd been fooling around with someone, I wouldn't think she'd just put her blouse back on and leave her bra off. Today maybe but not back in 1961. She seems to have had a good reputation. Puzzling.
Click to expand...

To my knowledge he wasn't given the test and I'm not sure why. My gut is telling me that he didn't do it, but I'm not too sure..
 
Another possible perp - a serial killer - from November 2010:

http://www.kentucky.com/2010/11/08/1515054/lexington-police-exploring-new.html

Lexington police detective Rob Wilson told WKRC-TV in Cincinnati that similarities between the attack of the 19-year-old on Oct. 27, 1961, and other murders has prompted a review of deaths connected to Nolan Ray George, 67.

George, a native of London, Ky., is currently in the Oakland County, Mich., jail, charged with a 1968 murder in Pontiac, Mich. He has not been charged in Betty Gail Brown's death.

"The manner of death, the absence of sexual activity in the situation, the violence of it &#8212; there are certainly similarities," Wilson told the Cincinnati television station... Police could find no apparent motive. Robbery was ruled out because Brown's purse and other belongings were lying untouched beside her. She had not been raped.
Click to expand...
 
los2188 said:
Unsolved for more than 50 years, Betty Gail&#8217;s murder is still being investigated by the LPD, but as time passes leads become harder to find.
Click to expand...

Los2188... Your first link is dead, so here's an archived copy.

Cold Case: Coed Betty Gail Brown’s murder on Transy campus 50 years ago still unsolved
KY-Forward (Lexington, KY)
1/28/2012
Betty Gail was wearing the clothes she left her parents’ house in — a white blouse, Bermuda shorts, a sweater and beige raincoat. But when she was found, her blouse was unbuttoned, but still tucked in, and her brassiere was around her neck.

“An autopsy determined Brown had died as a result of strangulation with her own bra,” a police report said.

It was determined that robbery was not a motive in the murder, and Betty Gail had not been sexually assaulted. While she was still in the driver’s seat, her car keys were found in the floorboard of the back seat. The doors to the car were locked, except the front passenger door, which had a malfunctioning lock. Police were unable to find any witnesses to the crime.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to see a thread about Betty Gail. My mother says that we're kin to her somehow and has talked about her murder for years. We're definitely not very closely related, but I found some stuff online about her a few years ago so I guess she's not a figment of my mom's imagination. (She also claims that we're related to some madame that lived in Lexington AND Pocahontas... Maybe she's right. Who knows?). I almost didn't believe that Betty Gail was real until I found stories about her. My mom was in middle school back when she was murdered.

And apparently, many people in the family (or however my mom heard of the story) thought she was gay. I have no idea if that's true or just a gossipy rumor about a girl that might just not have had a busy dating life. But some of the talk I heard was about some kind of jealous person or love triangle being involved in her death. I don't think my mom would be capable of making those kind of rumors up. And again, I heard all of that MANY years before Nolan George's name came up. So there may be some truth and there may be some nonsense to that aspect of Betty Gail's life.

I'll try to find out how we are related to Betty Gail. And the madame she'd talk about was "Aunt Belle" something or another. I guess she must be real too. Does anybody know anything about an long-gone brothels in Lexington?
 
Another link from a recent article. It contains information from police files.

Unsolved for 56 years. Inside the police file of Lexington’s most notorious cold case.

Also didn't know she was the niece of actor Harry Dean Stanton.

She was studying on campus that night, but not at Old Morrison Hall where she was found.

Arnold, the man who claimed to have killed her was acquitted. He says she was in her car making out with another woman. He went to their car to hassle them, they cussed him, he took Betty ' s head and slammed it against the steering wheel. Knocked her unconscious. The other woman fled, he got into the back seat and strangled her from behind with her bra. Wiped the car down to remove fingerprints and went to the apartment of a friend nearby where he drank and passed out. The friend denied he was there that night.

The police files were incomplete with no list of suspects, follow up on tips, etc.

Also, none of the evidence introduced at Arnolds trial was there anymore. It had been destroyed.

Apparently, there were some prints retrieved from the car that are still in the files. Some of her clothing was retrieved from an uncle in 2005 and tested for DNA, but there was no match. Maybe it would be a good case for familial DNA testing.
 
Last edited:
bflocket said:
Los2188... Your first link is dead, so here's an archived copy.

Cold Case: Coed Betty Gail Brown’s murder on Transy campus 50 years ago still unsolved
KY-Forward (Lexington, KY)
1/28/2012


I'm glad to see a thread about Betty Gail. My mother says that we're kin to her somehow and has talked about her murder for years. We're definitely not very closely related, but I found some stuff online about her a few years ago so I guess she's not a figment of my mom's imagination. (She also claims that we're related to some madame that lived in Lexington AND Pocahontas... Maybe she's right. Who knows?). I almost didn't believe that Betty Gail was real until I found stories about her. My mom was in middle school back when she was murdered.

And apparently, many people in the family (or however my mom heard of the story) thought she was gay. I have no idea if that's true or just a gossipy rumor about a girl that might just not have had a busy dating life. But some of the talk I heard was about some kind of jealous person or love triangle being involved in her death. I don't think my mom would be capable of making those kind of rumors up. And again, I heard all of that MANY years before Nolan George's name came up. So there may be some truth and there may be some nonsense to that aspect of Betty Gail's life.

I'll try to find out how we are related to Betty Gail. And the madame she'd talk about was "Aunt Belle" something or another. I guess she must be real too. Does anybody know anything about an long-gone brothels in Lexington?
Click to expand...
belle Breezing ??
 
1510973403298-1_Lawson.jpeg


Betty Gail Brown

LINK:

The Bizarre Unsolved Murder of Harry Dean Stanton's Niece
 
Kudzuu said:
belle Breezing ??
Click to expand...
I'm not too sure. She seems like the only "Belle" running a whorehouse in Lexington that I could find. But I'm pretty sure she's too famous to be kin to me.

I think we're kin to the lady through the Marions nut I might have that confused with Betty Gail. The Marions were from Spencer/Nelson County but originally from Henry County, a county north of Frankfort. The other side was Creeches and they were from Harlan near Cumberland Gap in far SE Kentucky. But they both had ties to Lexington and that's why I'm worried I have the sides kin to whom mixed up.
 
bflocket said:
Los2188... Your first link is dead, so here's an archived copy.

Cold Case: Coed Betty Gail Brown’s murder on Transy campus 50 years ago still unsolved
KY-Forward (Lexington, KY)
1/28/2012


I'm glad to see a thread about Betty Gail. My mother says that we're kin to her somehow and has talked about her murder for years. We're definitely not very closely related, but I found some stuff online about her a few years ago so I guess she's not a figment of my mom's imagination. (She also claims that we're related to some madame that lived in Lexington AND Pocahontas... Maybe she's right. Who knows?). I almost did
bflocket said:
Los2188... Your first link is dead, so here's an archived copy.

Cold Case: Coed Betty Gail Brown’s murder on Transy campus 50 years ago still unsolved
KY-Forward (Lexington, KY)
1/28/2012


I'm glad to see a thread about Betty Gail. My mother says that we're kin to her somehow and has talked about her murder for years. We're definitely not very closely related, but I found some stuff online about her a few years ago so I guess she's not a figment of my mom's imagination. (She also claims that we're related to some madame that lived in Lexington AND Pocahontas... Maybe she's right. Who knows?). I almost didn't believe that Betty Gail was real until I found stories about her. My mom was in middle school back when she was murdered.

And apparently, many people in the family (or however my mom heard of the story) thought she was gay. I have no idea if that's true or just a gossipy rumor about a girl that might just not have had a busy dating life. But some of the talk I heard was about some kind of jealous person or love triangle being involved in her death. I don't think my mom would be capable of making those kind of rumors up. And again, I heard all of that MANY years before Nolan George's name came up. So there may be some truth and there may be some nonsense to that aspect of Betty Gail's life.

I'll try to find out how we are related to Betty Gail. And the madame she'd talk about was "Aunt Belle" something or another. I guess she must be real too. Does anybody know anything about an long-gone brothels in Lexington?
Click to expand...

n't believe that Betty Gail was real until I found stories about her. My mom was in middle school back when she was murdered.

And apparently, many people in the family (or however my mom heard of the story) thought she was gay. I have no idea if that's true or just a gossipy rumor about a girl that might just not have had a busy dating life. But some of the talk I heard was about some kind of jealous person or love triangle being involved in her death. I don't think my mom would be capable of making those kind of rumors up. And again, I heard all of that MANY years before Nolan George's name came up. So there may be some truth and there may be some nonsense to that aspect of Betty Gail's life.

I'll try to find out how we are related to Betty Gail. And the madame she'd talk about was "Aunt Belle" something or another. I guess she must be real too. Does anybody know anything about an long-gone brothels in Lexington?
Click to expand...




I am from Lexington and the madam that an earlier post mentioned was Belle Brezing. She was well liked and well respected. Margaret Mitchell who wrote "Gone with The Wind based "Belle Watling" from Gone with the Wind on Belle Brezing.Belle Brezing - Wikipedia
 
I just read the book about Betty Gail Brown's murder.............so odd and such a strange mystery. I don't believe the story Alex Arnold Jr told about her and another girl "making love" and kissing in the car. She had a journal of boys names she had dated with no inkling of suspicion that she was attracted to girls. And her parents and closest friends spoke of her boyfriends. And not to mention there was no trace of anyone else in the car and the fact that I believe eventually such said lady would come forward eventually. And I don't believe that he "dreamed" he murdered her. I think he did murder her. I think perhaps he was wandering the streets near a stop light or stop sign where she was stopped and he hopped in her car and told her to drive to the college dorm parking lot where he frequently slept on benches. Then perhaps with the intentions to rape she fought and *maybe* even told him she was on her period (the autopsy report stated a tampon was discovered in her) that made him mad and he strangled her with her bra that either he made her take off , she took off (for comfort), or he took off. OR he was laying in wait in her car when she came out, she got in and not noticing him laying in the back drove off after the quick exchange with the fellow student. After getting down the road some she may have taken her bra off herself for comfort (her friend testified that she did that sometimes when she was period.) And then Arnold pops up , demands her to drive to the college dorm where he frequently slept on benches and then perhaps she was begging him not to hurt her and maybe at that point knowing he wanted to rape she thought telling him she was on her period would stop him but instead it angered him and he took her bra that she had taken off and tossed in the back at that point and strangled her. He made a weird comment to the interrogating officers that he didn't want the police to find her and think it was a sex crime so he buttoned some of her blouse up but said that he first kissed her breast and had an explicit thought of how pretty she ..........I took that statement as maybe he thought he was missing out on raping her because she had (possibly) said she was on her period and for some reason in his mind it ruined his idea of raping her and instead it triggered rage and he strangled her.
 
Hope_73 said:
I just read the book about Betty Gail Brown's murder.............so odd and such a strange mystery. I don't believe the story Alex Arnold Jr told about her and another girl "making love" and kissing in the car. She had a journal of boys names she had dated with no inkling of suspicion that she was attracted to girls. And her parents and closest friends spoke of her boyfriends. And not to mention there was no trace of anyone else in the car and the fact that I believe eventually such said lady would come forward eventually. And I don't believe that he "dreamed" he murdered her. I think he did murder her. I think perhaps he was wandering the streets near a stop light or stop sign where she was stopped and he hopped in her car and told her to drive to the college dorm parking lot where he frequently slept on benches. Then perhaps with the intentions to rape she fought and *maybe* even told him she was on her period (the autopsy report stated a tampon was discovered in her) that made him mad and he strangled her with her bra that either he made her take off , she took off (for comfort), or he took off. OR he was laying in wait in her car when she came out, she got in and not noticing him laying in the back drove off after the quick exchange with the fellow student. After getting down the road some she may have taken her bra off herself for comfort (her friend testified that she did that sometimes when she was period.) And then Arnold pops up , demands her to drive to the college dorm where he frequently slept on benches and then perhaps she was begging him not to hurt her and maybe at that point knowing he wanted to rape she thought telling him she was on her period would stop him but instead it angered him and he took her bra that she had taken off and tossed in the back at that point and strangled her. He made a weird comment to the interrogating officers that he didn't want the police to find her and think it was a sex crime so he buttoned some of her blouse up but said that he first kissed her breast and had an explicit thought of how pretty she ..........I took that statement as maybe he thought he was missing out on raping her because she had (possibly) said she was on her period and for some reason in his mind it ruined his idea of raping her and instead it triggered rage and he strangled her.
Click to expand...

Very interesting, thanks for the information from the book. I've always felt his story was too detailed to have been made up by Arnold. He probably stalked Betty and caught up with her, as you say.

It's really a shame, she seemed to be such a bright, talented young woman.
 
"PSYCHOLOGIST" INPUT REQUESTED:
We are ONE MONTH away from the SIXTY-YEAR anniversary of this murder! Not only have both of Betty's parents passed away, but so has Charles Cordis, the last person known to have seen Betty alive. If this case doesn't get solved soon (don't know if they've done all the new DNA options, or why not), it will likely never be - everyone will be GONE!

My question: How might we (probably led by any next-of-kin, or Lexington police) take a shot at evoking any possible "deathbed confession", if in fact the guilty party can still be 'reached?' Would a Press Release from LPD noting the 60th year, along with pleas from the family, do anything? Any other techniques that are known to have worked (local TV personality feature, etc.). Seems to be the only shot left....anyone....?
 
bflocket said:
Los2188... Your first link is dead, so here's an archived copy.

Cold Case: Coed Betty Gail Brown’s murder on Transy campus 50 years ago still unsolved
KY-Forward (Lexington, KY)
1/28/2012


I'm glad to see a thread about Betty Gail. My mother says that we're kin to her somehow and has talked about her murder for years. We're definitely not very closely related, but I found some stuff online about her a few years ago so I guess she's not a figment of my mom's imagination. (She also claims that we're related to some madame that lived in Lexington AND Pocahontas... Maybe she's right. Who knows?). I almost didn't believe that Betty Gail was real until I found stories about her. My mom was in middle school back when she was murdered.

And apparently, many people in the family (or however my mom heard of the story) thought she was gay. I have no idea if that's true or just a gossipy rumor about a girl that might just not have had a busy dating life. But some of the talk I heard was about some kind of jealous person or love triangle being involved in her death. I don't think my mom would be capable of making those kind of rumors up. And again, I heard all of that MANY years before Nolan George's name came up. So there may be some truth and there may be some nonsense to that aspect of Betty Gail's life.

I'll try to find out how we are related to Betty Gail. And the madame she'd talk about was "Aunt Belle" something or another. I guess she must be real too. Does anybody know anything about an long-gone brothels in Lexington?
Click to expand...


Did you ever find out if you were related? See my post above....
 
60 years ago...

[URL='https://r.search.aol.com/_ylt=AwrJ4NbZJmhheGsAyz5jCWVH;_ylu=c2VjA3NyBHNsawNpbWcEb2lkA2NjMDkyM2Q3NmY2OTZkNDY0NDVmZWZkZDdjNTgxOTBmBGdwb3MDNARpdANiaW5n/RV=2/RE=1634244441/RO=11/RU=http%3a%2f%2fwww.kyforward.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2012%2f01%2fScreen-Shot-2017-11-17-at-4.20.36-PM.png/RK=0/RS=MJSfGv1fAaaB8f4uZudLFT7eO44-'][/URL]

Betty Gail Brown, 19
Murdered 27 October 1961

On October 27, 1961, 19-year-old Kentuckian Betty Gail Brown was found dead in her car, strangled by her own brassiere. The mysterious murder became Kentucky’s most famous cold case.

Brown was your typical girl. She lived in Lexington with her insurance salesman father Hargus Brown and homemaker mother Quincy Stanton Brown (the sister of recently deceased character actor Harry Dean Stanton), while she attended nearby Transylvania University. She was popular on campus, described as likable and attractive by friends, and had no known enemies, which all helped to make her murder even more shocking.

In 1965, an alcoholic drifter named Alex Arnold claimed to have committed the crime. He made his confession while in police custody in Oregon for being intoxicated in public. He gave his statement while suffering from withdrawal symptoms and displaying suicidal tendencies. Despite the initial confession, Arnold eventually recanted his story. He was ultimately freed due to a mistrial.

Ever since that trial, Arnold's attorney Robert G. Lawson has been fascinated with the case. The lawyer saved all the files and notes for years and has used them to write Who Killed Betty Gail Brown?: Murder, Mistrial, and Mystery, out November 24 from University Press of Kentucky. The book explores the aftermath of the unsolved murder, highlighting the need for more scrutiny to be placed on confessions obtained by law enforcement...

LINK:

The Bizarre Unsolved Murder of Harry Dean Stanton's Niece
 
THIS is the SIXTIETH anniversary of the last evening that Betty Gail Brown spent on Earth.

Time is running out -- the last person known to see her alive has already died -- seems like a deathbed confession is the only thing left, if this murder is ever to be solved.
 
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