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Murder & Mayhem in Portland, Oregon
The headlines shook Portland, Oregon. The brutal Ardenwald axe murders. The retribution killings by Chinatown tongs. The fiendish acts of the Dark Strangler. In this compelling account, author JD Chandler chronicles the coverups, the false confessions, the miscarriages of justice and the investigative twists and turns of Portland's infamous crimes while providing valuable historical perspective. From the untimely end of the Black Mackintosh Bandit to the convoluted hunt for the Milwaukie Monster, join Chandler as he unveils the shadowy heart of the city, acknowledges the officers who sought justice and remembers the individuals whose lives were claimed by violence.
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2013
51 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Chandler
7 books18 followersJD “John” Chandler, Portland author, (1961 – 2021).
JD Chandler was a writer and author, as well as a former political/labor activist, military veteran and public historian specializing in the history of crime in Portland, Oregon. He was a fiction and nonfiction writer his whole life, and also a film maker of short documentaries and several inventive “book trailers.” He was the author of seven books, which include two novels, five books of nonfiction, published primarily with The History Press, but also with America Through Time, who published his last book, Portland Rogues Gallery: A Baker's Dozen Arresting Criminals from Portland History.
JD had a popular website, Slabtown Chronicle and was beloved by many Portlanders, and out-of-state fans of his special brand of diverse and informative crime writing profiles.
JD was born in February of 1961, and graduated from Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington with a degree in liberal arts. He lived in various places, from California, to Washington state, all throughout Oregon, including Medford, but settled in Portland where he lived for many years in SE Portland in an airy, charming old 1905 walk-up apartment on Alder Street, just off Hawthorne.
JD worked hard all his life, from working as a newspaper deliverer, busboy, waiter, bellboy, door-to-door salesman, laborer, landscaper, apartment manager, soldier, intelligence analyst, Russian linguist, insurance agent, telephone solicitor, political activist, fundraiser, executive director, in-home caregiver, union organizer, Spanish interpreter, truck driver, account executive, college admissions representative, Podcastor, writing tutor, and finally as a longtime GED Examiner working for Portland Community College.
JD Chandler had many friends, his lifelong friend from childhood, Ken Goldstein, his good friend Thomas Legg, and his many author friends such as, Phil Stanford, Doug Kenck-Crispin, JB Fisher, Don DuPay and Theresa Griffin Kennedy, who wrote the definitive essay about JD and his creative life and tragic death in May of 2021. JD will be remembered as a staunch supporter of other writers, poets, painters and musicians, who often said: “I’d be happy to help!” when his expertise or help was needed in any number of ways.
JD Chandler was a writer and author, as well as a former political/labor activist, military veteran and public historian specializing in the history of crime in Portland, Oregon. He was a fiction and nonfiction writer his whole life, and also a film maker of short documentaries and several inventive “book trailers.” He was the author of seven books, which include two novels, five books of nonfiction, published primarily with The History Press, but also with America Through Time, who published his last book, Portland Rogues Gallery: A Baker's Dozen Arresting Criminals from Portland History.
JD had a popular website, Slabtown Chronicle and was beloved by many Portlanders, and out-of-state fans of his special brand of diverse and informative crime writing profiles.
JD was born in February of 1961, and graduated from Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington with a degree in liberal arts. He lived in various places, from California, to Washington state, all throughout Oregon, including Medford, but settled in Portland where he lived for many years in SE Portland in an airy, charming old 1905 walk-up apartment on Alder Street, just off Hawthorne.
JD worked hard all his life, from working as a newspaper deliverer, busboy, waiter, bellboy, door-to-door salesman, laborer, landscaper, apartment manager, soldier, intelligence analyst, Russian linguist, insurance agent, telephone solicitor, political activist, fundraiser, executive director, in-home caregiver, union organizer, Spanish interpreter, truck driver, account executive, college admissions representative, Podcastor, writing tutor, and finally as a longtime GED Examiner working for Portland Community College.
JD Chandler had many friends, his lifelong friend from childhood, Ken Goldstein, his good friend Thomas Legg, and his many author friends such as, Phil Stanford, Doug Kenck-Crispin, JB Fisher, Don DuPay and Theresa Griffin Kennedy, who wrote the definitive essay about JD and his creative life and tragic death in May of 2021. JD will be remembered as a staunch supporter of other writers, poets, painters and musicians, who often said: “I’d be happy to help!” when his expertise or help was needed in any number of ways.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 29, 2013
J.D. Chandler suggests an interesting theory; that one can learn about a region's social, political, and cultural history by making a study of its murders. He then proceeds to prove his thesis through this collection of a dozen true tales from a century of Portland's murder files.
Through the crimes and investigations we see the city grow from a pioneer town to a major inland port. With changing times and technology come changes in culture, and we see official discrimination against the Chinese, who were brought over to build the railroads, evolve into official discrimination against southern Blacks, who came north and west to work in the shipyards during WWII. The unwritten laws of the Victorian era get enforced with equal vigor to the official code, justifying violence against women and children.
We see the transformation of Portland's law enforcement from the pioneers who were comfortable on both sides of the badge, to a well-run machine where a little "smile money" could get the law on your side. There are honest cops as well, who before modern forensics - or even the wide acceptance of fingerprint evidence - solved murders with nothing but a sharp mind and a thirst for justice.
But the book is not all politics and history. It is, first and foremost, a true crime book, and the details are all there, both gruesome and titillating. From the hacking to death of the HIll family, and the brutal rape and murder of fourteen-year-old Mamie Walsh, to the travels of mass murderer (and necrophiliac) Earle Nelson. Chandler spares us nothing, even if the newspapers of the day may have euphemized their way to more subtle reporting.
Chandler's writing is crisp, clear, and with just enough dry wit to slyly entertain while still having appropriate respect for his subjects. The book is well-illustrated with period photos. Murder & Mayhem in Portland, Oregon should be of interest to all who like to read about the old west, true crime, or history regardless of whether or not they have a connection to the region.
Through the crimes and investigations we see the city grow from a pioneer town to a major inland port. With changing times and technology come changes in culture, and we see official discrimination against the Chinese, who were brought over to build the railroads, evolve into official discrimination against southern Blacks, who came north and west to work in the shipyards during WWII. The unwritten laws of the Victorian era get enforced with equal vigor to the official code, justifying violence against women and children.
We see the transformation of Portland's law enforcement from the pioneers who were comfortable on both sides of the badge, to a well-run machine where a little "smile money" could get the law on your side. There are honest cops as well, who before modern forensics - or even the wide acceptance of fingerprint evidence - solved murders with nothing but a sharp mind and a thirst for justice.
But the book is not all politics and history. It is, first and foremost, a true crime book, and the details are all there, both gruesome and titillating. From the hacking to death of the HIll family, and the brutal rape and murder of fourteen-year-old Mamie Walsh, to the travels of mass murderer (and necrophiliac) Earle Nelson. Chandler spares us nothing, even if the newspapers of the day may have euphemized their way to more subtle reporting.
Chandler's writing is crisp, clear, and with just enough dry wit to slyly entertain while still having appropriate respect for his subjects. The book is well-illustrated with period photos. Murder & Mayhem in Portland, Oregon should be of interest to all who like to read about the old west, true crime, or history regardless of whether or not they have a connection to the region.
July 5, 2019
Portland's past.....
I didn't know what to expect from this book or author but I must admit I was pleasantly surprised! I found this book very engaging and easy to follow. I also found for once reading about the past and about somewhere I have never been wasn't bad at all! I'm fact this author made it very interesting and I didn't want to put it down at all. I really hope this author will write more books and about other states as well cause I would definitely read them and for once I would love learning about the history of other states!!!! That being said this book is set worth the money and time.... If you are like me and a true crime can or just want to read a good book then look no further!!! It's definitely more then worth it!!! I can't wait to see what this author writes next!!! Keep up the great work!
I didn't know what to expect from this book or author but I must admit I was pleasantly surprised! I found this book very engaging and easy to follow. I also found for once reading about the past and about somewhere I have never been wasn't bad at all! I'm fact this author made it very interesting and I didn't want to put it down at all. I really hope this author will write more books and about other states as well cause I would definitely read them and for once I would love learning about the history of other states!!!! That being said this book is set worth the money and time.... If you are like me and a true crime can or just want to read a good book then look no further!!! It's definitely more then worth it!!! I can't wait to see what this author writes next!!! Keep up the great work!
February 14, 2023
The only reason I gave this 2 stars is because the IDEA of the book is compelling.
The writing feels like an outline rather than a finished, polished book. Unfortunately, because of it's small size, a lot of our reluctant readers in a Criminal Justice class pick this up for their required (but their choice of specific book) reading and it reinforces their idea that reading a book is not enjoyable.
I would never recommend this book to any student and if one of them tries to check it out, I'll stop and have a conversation with them.
The writing is all over the place and doesn't flow at all. Saying it is choppy writing is an understatement.
The writing feels like an outline rather than a finished, polished book. Unfortunately, because of it's small size, a lot of our reluctant readers in a Criminal Justice class pick this up for their required (but their choice of specific book) reading and it reinforces their idea that reading a book is not enjoyable.
I would never recommend this book to any student and if one of them tries to check it out, I'll stop and have a conversation with them.
The writing is all over the place and doesn't flow at all. Saying it is choppy writing is an understatement.
December 31, 2019
Fascinating book!
This book not only includes details of various murders committed in and around Portland, Oregon, but it also gives a glimpse into the history of Portland. I found a few errors (ie. a killer's surname was listed as both Kelley and Kelly and a man in one of the stories was listed as both Alexander and Arthur). I highly recommend this book to other true crime readers.
This book not only includes details of various murders committed in and around Portland, Oregon, but it also gives a glimpse into the history of Portland. I found a few errors (ie. a killer's surname was listed as both Kelley and Kelly and a man in one of the stories was listed as both Alexander and Arthur). I highly recommend this book to other true crime readers.
January 18, 2021
meh. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, it was fine. pretty boring. the writing was clunky & I really don't care about a white guy writing about old-timey white men committing crimes.
2 stars for the chapter on Vanport (look it up, so fascinating) & the chapter on the Ardenwald murders which were probably committed by the man from the train. also appreciated learning about the development of the city.
2 stars for the chapter on Vanport (look it up, so fascinating) & the chapter on the Ardenwald murders which were probably committed by the man from the train. also appreciated learning about the development of the city.
November 24, 2021
Just a bunch of descriptions of sensational murders in Portland without any real sense of a thread running through or a clear point to the book. It ends on a weird note: Vanport is destroyed and Portland’s Black population organized. I’m not dismissing the historical importance of that event, which continues to impact the city’s social and political landscape; it just feels like a very random thing to have in this particular book and ending it there was just awkward.
April 6, 2021
This book was not very engaging. Contains 10 very short, tedious stories. The "Dark Strangler" was the only interesting tale and even then, I found the wikipedia entry more informative and compelling. Most of the pictures included are not very relevant to the stories.
Not sure I would recommend this to anyone.
Not sure I would recommend this to anyone.
July 27, 2023
I love historical fiction and I love the city where I grew up. Portland Oregon has always been weird and now its even weirder. This place has always been filled with out there characters who have nothing to lose and lots of personality. I wonder how many other books there are about Oregon I need to find and read.
February 9, 2019
Book #21 of the EBN Challenge at my Library.
Challenge Topic: A nonfiction book.
This was pretty good if you like history of crime. I liked how a lot of the crimes could be tied together through the history of Portland with some of the same people coming into play in different ways.
Challenge Topic: A nonfiction book.
This was pretty good if you like history of crime. I liked how a lot of the crimes could be tied together through the history of Portland with some of the same people coming into play in different ways.
May 24, 2022
Brilliant historical information
Mr. Chandler spent many years researching the stories in this book and it is an eye opening chronicle of Old Portland history that is relevant even today.
Mr. Chandler spent many years researching the stories in this book and it is an eye opening chronicle of Old Portland history that is relevant even today.
March 4, 2024
The premise of the book sounds great. The execution is very lacking. The stories were light on details and it’s clear by the author’s explanation accompanying the bibliography that most of his research came from newspaper articles.
December 28, 2025
Some of the stories were really suspenseful and easy to understand! While others were lacking, had too many characters, not too mention some of the spelling errors which were disorienting. It was an interesting read but could've used some better editing.
November 30, 2018
slim little volume, good for short burst reading.
November 12, 2022
3.5 stars. 3 cause it was standard non-fiction. 0.5 cause I'm a local & recognized the places mentioned.
November 26, 2022
Interesting history! But not very organized, idk it may just be the kindle version
January 10, 2016
Murder is not really a subject I'm drawn to but I've decided to read most of the books I can on Portland and JD now has a small series out in History Press. This one is vignette style and covers just over dozen stories. I think I'm of a first person memoir type as most of the stories while interesting on some level even if sad and gruesome, I wanted a little more personal. But I do think if you are interested in the topic in general this will a fascinating read. I remember the strawberry patch murder the most... what is interesting is how many cases never really get real answers and there's always a mystery because the witness who could tell you the most is dead. The History press books can sometimes be a little short because of their page limit so I'm sure Chandler may have wanted to say more if he could. His other books: I like the Hidden History of Portland better I think and Portland on the Take has more of a linear thread which helps for me to keep better track of events in related to the larger history.
October 12, 2014
This was quite interesting. Books like this, which are basically a "list" of historic events, can be rather dull. But this book is well written and a good read. My only "complaint" is that I wish the book had a map inside so I could follow along with where events took place. I did get out my humongous Portland map at one point, but it was rather hard to read with.
August 25, 2013
The stories were interesting, but weren't written in a way to grab the reader.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews