Anyone in the Cincy area?
Think you’re an ace amateur sleuth or a crack private eye? Then match wits with local crime historian and
Queen City Gothic author
JT Townsend as he exhumes Cincinnati’s most infamous murder mystery in this riveting 4-week class. Based on his upcoming book
Summer’s Almost Gone, this interactive class will focus on the
1966 Bricca family murders.
Townsend was given unprecedented access to the Bricca case file – laden with information that never saw the light of print. And as an armchair detective stalking a legendary mystery, Townsend is not shackled by the presumption of innocence and reasonable doubt. All evidence is admissible – hearsay, rumors, gossip, and undertones.
University of Cincinnati | Communiversity
Some photos here on Townsend's FB:
JT Townsend, True Crime Detective
I am curious if anyone considered the wife as a possible killer, or at least the catalyst to the murder, which might have been committed by her husband. This was running through my mind during the last couple chapters of the book. Try as I might to find reasons it might not make sense - surely after all the research it was considered and dismissed with other evidence - it was never mentioned as a possible theory.
There are several reasons I considered Fred’s wife was intimately involved, starting with Linda herself.
Linda’s Maternal Change of Heart: I found it curious how Linda was quite vocal about not wanting more children, her detachment from both Jerry and Debbie reflected in her words and actions. Then suddenly she goes to San Francisco, and observed lovingly admiring her abdomen in the mirror with affection as if she knows she is already pregnant. During the same trip she is quite outspoken about her desire to have more children and her marriage in general, to which Jerry acts surprised but happy, optimistic. But we know her feelings about her marriage, Jerry and Debbie, which were to tolerate them, at best. The only other explanation therefore, is she believes she is pregnant by someone other than Jerry and is quite happy about it. Why would she be happy? No other reason than she believes or has been led to believe the father would be with her, which she clearly wanted. In order for that to happen, however, to give her lover time to reorganize his life, her only option would be to convince Jerry the baby is his in the meantime. Since she never appears to mention the fact that she already believes she may be pregnant as she did in the mirror, this discrepancy between present and future only makes sense if she and Jerry had not had sex and she needed to seduce him quickly and viola, she’s pregnant, no questions asked.
The Thursday Night Call: We don’t know when she began to suspect the potential pregnancy, but it likely wasn’t a long time prior to the murders, maybe a week or two, maybe within a week of her temporary work assignment at the clinic. It’s very clear her confidence that Fred would respond favorably to “the news” - particularly if they had been having an affair for awhile. It’s reflected in her change in behavior, the boldness of showing up at the club in public without a second thought about who would see or talk. This tells me she fully expected to be with Fred, that he would leave his wife for her and the baby; soon they would be a couple so why pretend?
I believe that the Thursday night “emergency” call - that Fred claimed not to remember - could have been related to the pregnancy: (1) to reveal the pregnancy in some act of desperation, possibly Fred attempted to end the relationship, or (2) she had told Fred about the pregnancy prior to the call and he left angry. Desperate to reach him, she called the clinic. Since he didn’t work at the clinic those evenings, the call could not have been for professional reasons. Why call unless she was in distress, possibly due to his unexpected rejection.
Her Temporary turned Permanent Wednesday Position at the Clinic: They clearly spent time together in the interim of the call and Saturday at the club. I’m not sure exactly when the position was offered to her, but it was sudden, possibly during the same week. Since her hours away from home to “work” on nights the clinic wasn’t even open, there was a feeling that something was coming to a head. Where she had gone to Florida, then to the circus, all to get away from Jerry and her life with him, her increased reliance on Fred and their relationship has an air of desperation to it, of instability in the frequency and boldness of her desire to be with him without much concern of scrutiny. The position may have been a way for Fred to pacify her, but it may not have been enough. Then the phone call...things are coming to a head.
Saturday Visit to the Club: I believe at this time Fred knew about her supposed pregnancy. His dismissive attitude in front of his friend likely angered her, as she felt it was her place to be there, they were soon going to be together. Jerry would be leaving for San Francisco and his new job, and she was going to stay with Fred. But October was fast approaching and Fred needed to act. So why hadn’t he? He probably rejected her again and she may have taken matters into her own hands because she was becoming increasingly more desperate for something to happen. If she thought she was pregnant, Jerry would expect her to move: she couldn’t support herself on her own and she couldn’t stand the thought of leaving with Jerry. She needed a man, and surely she gave Fred an ultimatum. If he rejected her, it’s not beyond the realm of possibilities to force it upon him by telling his wife, and she likely did so after he left her at the club. I don’t believe it was Fred who was desperate to keep and possess Linda. I believe it was the other way around.
Fred’s Call from the Store: I believe it was said that Fred entered the store around 10:30 looking disheveled and on edge, calling twice (I think) and failing to connect with whom he was calling. It’s possible he called either Linda (to warn her) or his wife (to talk her out of going to Linda’s house to confront her, and then the other for the same reasons in reverse. Something happened, and he was concerned enough to stop in the rain and make urgent calls that went unanswered, causing him great distress. When he couldn’t connect with either one, he likely went straight to Linda’s house, parking down the street, intending to use the dogs as a reason for his visit if necessary. But there is one more scenario that might explain the call: Fred could have been calling for “back up” and couldn’t call from Linda’s home. The only problem with this scenario is, the store owner didn’t see any blood, only that he looked disheveled.
I suspect he discovered his wife was there already confronting Linda. Seeing Linda in her lingerie, a determined Linda likely confirmed her pregnancy and callously assured Fred’s wife her marriage was over and Fred loved her, not his wife, probably sent his wife into a rage. His wife grabbed the knife from the Buffet (the one from Linda’s childhood on display), because it was the only thing within reach. She may have stabbed Linda; maybe she just threatened her. But surely Linda would’ve threatened to call the police since pressing charges would surely aid Linda in her pursuit to get the wife out of the way sooner rather than later.
The “wife” scenario also explains why no one hears the dogs. They liked women; surely they liked Fred. I think the bump heard by the neighbors were either the wife confronting Linda. We know it wasn’t Fred, because he hadn’t yet made the call from the store. I think the “thump” occurred around 9:30 or 10, I believe after Jerry took out the trash and before Fred made the call. Maybe it was Linda and Fred’s wife fighting over the knife, maybe Linda was stabbed or fell. I think I read she had superficial or defensive wounds, but I’m not sure. Jerry probably walked in, was shocked by what he had walked into. He wouldn’t have fought a woman, which would explain why he hadn’t defended himself as vigorously as people would have expected. He thought he could reason with Fred’s wife.
At some point Fred arrives. It’s doubtful he would’ve parked in front of their home. How is wife got there I don’t know, but I believe her car was either at the house and might have been one of the many reportedly seen by neighbors in the heavy downpour, parked or moved elsewhere. I think Fred probably watched what was happening unnoticed from the back door or window before dining into the house. Debbie was probably up and in the room witnessing all of this, another reason Jerry kept his composure. Fred shows up, and again the dogs don’t bark and Debbie recognized Fred, probably calling him affectionately by name. It’s possible that Fred decided then and there to murder all of them.
At this point, something besides not wanting Debbie to witness a fight, Linda was stabbed and her life was being used to subdue Jerry with promises to get her help if he kept calm. Whatever it was it scared Jerry enough he allowed himself to be tied with tape and not put up a fight. That or he was tied with tape while incapacitated (the thump?) He must have believed there was still a way out of this. But my guess is, Fred’s wife had the knife and had stabbed Linda, who was still alive when Jerry walked in but before Fred arrived after making the call.
Once Fred had everyone secured, he called a friend, one of the other vets with shady backgrounds, and had them come get his wife and take her out of there. I believe these were the people seen by the two witnesses driving by, who claimed to see a frightened woman (or man) getting into a car with another man. When Fred was sure they had gone, he killed Jerry, then Linda, then Debbie. He had compartmentalized his emotions and her death became “secondary to the incident,” like animals do when he is hunting.
Finally, it is said in the final chapters that Fred’s wife didn’t supply him an alibi. But if I remember correctly, that’s not completely true. They only discovered Fred had “lawyered up” when they knocked on her door to interview her. She never confirmed or denied his whereabouts because they never had the chance to ask. I believe Fred hired a lawyer and had him intervene when he did, not just to protect himself from making incriminating statements, but also his wife. It is pondered in the book how she could have continued to live the remainder of her life with Fred among all the suspicion without questioning him.
It makes perfect sense if she knew what he had done from day one as an accomplice. It’s also telling that they committed suicide together all those years later. It’s quite possible he talked her into it, afraid she might talk once he was gone and ruin his reputation. He likely convinced her by reminding her he did it for her. His narcissistic, self serving personality trait is exemplified by the fact that his final request to buried in the suit hanging on the rack is his and his only. There was no such request for his wife, no dress for her.
