Secret Witness: The Untold Story of the 1967 Bombing in Marshall, Michigan

by Blaine Lee Pardoe

Every small town has a moment when the real world abruptly intrudes, shattering the town's notions of itself and its people. For citizens of Marshall, Michigan, that moment came August 18, 1967. Nola Puyear was working downtown at the Tasty Cafe that morning when she received a package. She opened it and was instantly killed in a fiery explosion.

In the months that followed, law enforcement and prosecutors wrestled with a crime that to all appearances was senseless. Evidence recovered from the blown-up restaurant, including a bottle of pills that had been tainted with lye, suggested a concerted plot to murder Mrs. Puyear. But why had someone wanted to kill the well-liked woman, by all accounts a pillar of her close-knit community? For that matter, was Marshall really the quaint paradise it seemed to be?

Secret Witness brings to light startling new evidence and freshly uncovered facts to address these and other questions that, to this day, surround one of Michigan's most brutal murders. Based on extensive interviews with surviving prosecutors, police, and witnesses, Blaine Pardoe re-creates the investigation that pried into Marshall's dark underbelly and uncovered the seamy private lives led by some of the town's citizenry but led to only tenuous theories about the bombing. The book also examines the pivotal role played by the Secret Witness program, an initiative by the Detroit News that offered rewards for anonymous tips related to violent crimes. What's ultimately revealed is the true depth of evil that occurred in Marshall that day. Every small town has dirty little secrets. This time, they were deadly.

Genres: True Crime

232 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Blaine Pardoe is a New York Times Bestselling and award winning author of numerous books in the science fiction, military non-fiction, true crime, paranormal, and business management genre's. He has appeared on a number of national television and radio shows to speak about his books. Pardoe has been a featured speaker at the US National Archives, the United States Navy Museum, and the New York Military Affairs Symposium. He was awarded the State History Award in 2011 by the Historical Society of Michigan and is a silver medal winner from the Military Writers Society of America in 2010. In 2013 he was awarded the Harritt Quimby Award as part of the induction ceremony at the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame. Mr. Pardoe is also a member of the League of WWI Aviation Historians.

His books have even been mentioned on the floor of the U.S. Congress. His works have been printed in six languages and he is recognized world-wide for his historical and fiction works. He can be followed via Twitter (bpardoe870)

Reviews

[Shay Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear-eyed account of the 1967 murder by mail bomb of Nola Puyear.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was an interesting story to be told here that was a part of the unsavory side of Michigan's history. Sadly, it was cloaked in exceedingly annoying repetition and glaring grammatical errors. Photos were included, but some were so simple as to not matter (photo of pencil used to address mailing label). With so much emphasis put on the quaintness of Marshall, and the attempts to keep it an idyllic fifties-like town, one would think a current photo would have been included along with the blurry black-and-white from the time of the murder. This story would have been better presented as part of a collection, rather than being drawn out into a book of its own. There just wasn't enough information to be gathered via records and interviews with people nearly 45 years after the event to make it work. It's pretty disappointing that the University of Michigan Press published this book in its current state. One can only assume they have freshman students doing their editing.

[Norman Hawker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth be told, I'm not a fan of the true crime genre. Nonetheless, I found this story fascinating. Like the author, I have vague childhood memories of the event, many of which his book corrects. (Full disclosure: the author and I attended high school together.)

It is refreshing to read how law enforcement followed the rules as they patiently and methodically solved a crime that lacked any clear motive. Blaine Pardoe's writing, however, is at its best in the telling of the trial.

If you're interested in Michigan history or true crime, I recommend this book.

[Scott Hodoval · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent my high school and college years living in Marshall, Michigan so this was a fascinating read about a murder bombing that I never even knew took place. It occurred about 10 years before I moved to town as a teenager, yet many of the family names in the book were familiar to me. I have even learned since reading the book that one of my good Marshall friends who was 3 years old at the time was in the Tasty Cafe for breakfast a few hours before the bombing. Close call for sure! Certainly any one with ties to Marshall or West Michigan (or true crime lovers in general) would enjoy this very interesting account of an actual mail bombing and murder that devastated this small town.

[Holly]

Fun fact, I’m related to the bomber. That made reading this book kind of weird. All the people in it, relatives.

[Blaine Pardoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Publisher's Weekly:
On August 18, 1967, postman Donald Damon delivered a package to Paul and Nola Puyear at their Tasty Cafe in the peaceful community of Marshall, Mich. When Nola opened the package, a bomb exploded, killing her and ripping apart the restaurant interior. Since Nola had no enemies and no motive was evident, investigators were puzzled as fearful townsfolk came to "the slowly growing realization that a murderer might lurk among their number." While Paul Puyear's numerous extramarital adventures initially made him the prime suspect, investigators soon uncovered a web of similar escapades among other residents: "Marshall's rumor mill had plenty to say about the clandestine affairs of its citizens." The Detroit News's Secret Witness program, offering monetary rewards for anonymous tips, led to the arrest of "squirrelly" Enoch Chism, a violent man beset with personal demons. Novelist and nonfiction author Pardoe (Lost Eagles) reconstructs the day of the bombing, the investigation, Chism's trial and conviction, and the aftermath. The heightened terror of these events is compared with Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt. However, with a cast of more than 80, this compelling crime tale provides a peek into small-town secrets that reads less like Hitchcock and more like the sordidness of a Grace Metalious novel. (July)

[Flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally never read True Crime stories. But since this was my home state and my friends recommended it to me - I gave it a try. Is Pardoe the best writer? not by a long shot. But this story is so intriguing --maybe because it is true-- that I kept turning the page. And more astonishing, turning off the TV because I just had to know what happened in the book. Devoured it in 3 days. I learned not only about this violent crime, but so much about how detectives REALLY put together their case (not in a TV show) and how the legal system works...or doesn't. What a fast, interesting book for someone who wants to immerse themselves in another place and time.

[Sarah Bray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book about the murder that happened in my home town. Not a big fan of True Life Crime books. Some of the fact were not correct or jumbled. Maybe that happens often. If you like True Life Crime then check it out.

[Suzin]

I really enjoyed this book, not sure if it is because it is a small town i frequent so i recognize area's etc but i really liked the mystery of the story as well. this is the third book i have read by Blaine Pardoe about the Battle Creek/Marshall area and enjoyed all three immensely

[Mila Pool · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is well written but the story was just not as exciting as I was thinking it would be. The guy is a really good writer, I went ahead and purchased the Maggie Hume book. I'm not from around there but some how I found these books