FogHornFiles
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Frances McGraph, 10, of Dorchester, daughter of former Boston City councilor John H McGraph, was last seen on Saturday June 10th 1944 as she left a Scituate, Massachusetts bowling alley through a side exit.
Frances left her home on Peggotty Beach at around 7 p.m. to meet her two older sisters Eleanor 16, and Nancy 14 at St Mary's church for confession. After the trio finished confession, they left the church setting off along the marshland at around 7:45 p.m. hoping to grab a scoop of ice cream from one of the town's three convenience stores. A few minutes after they girls began walking their father drove past them in the family Automobile. Frances entered the store alone as her sisters waited outside to talk to friends. She got an Ice cream and left telling her sisters that she intended to meet her father, whose car was parked on the main street, while he shopped only 50 yards away. Her sisters saw her leave the store at around 8 p.m. heading to find her father. However by 8:15 she has been unable to find her father and has not made her way back to her sisters. She is spotted in the Bowling Alley next door sometime before 8:30. Frances was wearing a wool suit and skull cap, both of chartreuse yellow, brown stockings, and brown loafers. She had blue eyes with light brown hair that she wore down to her shoulders in pigtails.
Sometime between 9-9:15 she is seen leaving the bowling alley by a side exit. The side door of the alley gave access to a rather dark alley, one end of which leads to a parking lot and the other leading towards the main street. Frances would never be seen alive again.
Frances' body was discovered 6 days later on June 16th by James “Jack” Lopes as he drove his truck down Winter St in the town of Norwell (about 6 miles away from the family's Scituate home). He stopped his truck at the entrance to the road and took a shortcut through the woods toward his home on stockbridge road. He had gone about 100 feet along the road until he spotted the body. Slowly coming upon the body, he came to the realization that there had been a search for a missing child. He returned to his truck and quickly informed Scituate police chief Michael Stewart. The child was found lying on her back with her coat and dress pulled over her head. Her hat and shoes were nearby. The girl had clearly been attacked and strangled.
Though it is noted that police verified that he had been working the night Frances was murdered, suspicions began to fall upon Lopes. Upon further interrogations he cracked, however the information he provided was not the breakthrough authorities were looking for. Lopes had been in the company of Mrs. Bertha Pina, 39, of Scituate. They had witnessed the body three days before in the lane but failed to report it because they did not want Mrs. Pinas' husband knew she was with Lopes”. Medical authorities believe the girl was alive but unconscious at the time she was first spotted by Lopes and Pina. Had they reported their discovery the girl may still be alive.
Police swarmed over the surrounding area and hundreds of suspects were questioned. The autopsy revealed that her last meal consisted of frankfurts, figs, nuts, and maple-nut ice cream. The butcher told of selling frankfurts, figs, and nuts to a tall muscular man on about June 7th or 8th, and a laundry clerk gave a similar description of a man who left a bag of clothing to be washed two or three days before the girl's disappearance was learned. The matching laundry check had been found next to the girls body however the ticket could provide no further information about the suspect.
Police then decided to look back and see if any recent cases in the area matched the McGraph case. Previously that year on April 21st, Ida Henderson (16) of Norwell had been walking between the towns of Greenbush and Norwell when two men between the ages of 50 and 55 dragged her into a car and drove her a number of miles before she pushed open the car door and made her escape. Police looked into the similarities of the crimes.
Lopes and Pina were acquitted and not held responsible for the death of Frances.The McGraphs had only just moved into their summer cottage that day, but had lived there the last three summers. Leads were followed over the years however not a single one proved to be concrete. After 1952 I could find no mention of this case.
Frances left her home on Peggotty Beach at around 7 p.m. to meet her two older sisters Eleanor 16, and Nancy 14 at St Mary's church for confession. After the trio finished confession, they left the church setting off along the marshland at around 7:45 p.m. hoping to grab a scoop of ice cream from one of the town's three convenience stores. A few minutes after they girls began walking their father drove past them in the family Automobile. Frances entered the store alone as her sisters waited outside to talk to friends. She got an Ice cream and left telling her sisters that she intended to meet her father, whose car was parked on the main street, while he shopped only 50 yards away. Her sisters saw her leave the store at around 8 p.m. heading to find her father. However by 8:15 she has been unable to find her father and has not made her way back to her sisters. She is spotted in the Bowling Alley next door sometime before 8:30. Frances was wearing a wool suit and skull cap, both of chartreuse yellow, brown stockings, and brown loafers. She had blue eyes with light brown hair that she wore down to her shoulders in pigtails.
Sometime between 9-9:15 she is seen leaving the bowling alley by a side exit. The side door of the alley gave access to a rather dark alley, one end of which leads to a parking lot and the other leading towards the main street. Frances would never be seen alive again.
Frances' body was discovered 6 days later on June 16th by James “Jack” Lopes as he drove his truck down Winter St in the town of Norwell (about 6 miles away from the family's Scituate home). He stopped his truck at the entrance to the road and took a shortcut through the woods toward his home on stockbridge road. He had gone about 100 feet along the road until he spotted the body. Slowly coming upon the body, he came to the realization that there had been a search for a missing child. He returned to his truck and quickly informed Scituate police chief Michael Stewart. The child was found lying on her back with her coat and dress pulled over her head. Her hat and shoes were nearby. The girl had clearly been attacked and strangled.
Though it is noted that police verified that he had been working the night Frances was murdered, suspicions began to fall upon Lopes. Upon further interrogations he cracked, however the information he provided was not the breakthrough authorities were looking for. Lopes had been in the company of Mrs. Bertha Pina, 39, of Scituate. They had witnessed the body three days before in the lane but failed to report it because they did not want Mrs. Pinas' husband knew she was with Lopes”. Medical authorities believe the girl was alive but unconscious at the time she was first spotted by Lopes and Pina. Had they reported their discovery the girl may still be alive.
Police swarmed over the surrounding area and hundreds of suspects were questioned. The autopsy revealed that her last meal consisted of frankfurts, figs, nuts, and maple-nut ice cream. The butcher told of selling frankfurts, figs, and nuts to a tall muscular man on about June 7th or 8th, and a laundry clerk gave a similar description of a man who left a bag of clothing to be washed two or three days before the girl's disappearance was learned. The matching laundry check had been found next to the girls body however the ticket could provide no further information about the suspect.
Police then decided to look back and see if any recent cases in the area matched the McGraph case. Previously that year on April 21st, Ida Henderson (16) of Norwell had been walking between the towns of Greenbush and Norwell when two men between the ages of 50 and 55 dragged her into a car and drove her a number of miles before she pushed open the car door and made her escape. Police looked into the similarities of the crimes.
Lopes and Pina were acquitted and not held responsible for the death of Frances.The McGraphs had only just moved into their summer cottage that day, but had lived there the last three summers. Leads were followed over the years however not a single one proved to be concrete. After 1952 I could find no mention of this case.
