Murder of the Banker's Daughter: The Killing of Marion Parker

by R. Barri Flowers

From award winning criminologist R. Barri Flowers and the bestselling author of Murder at the Pencil Factory and The Sex Slave Murders, comes a powerful new historical true crime short, Murder of the Banker’s The Killing of Marion Parker. On December 15, 1927, 12-year-old Marion Parker, daughter of a prominent banker was brazenly abducted from her junior high school in Los Angeles, California in a bizarre ransom scheme. Two days later, the girl’s dismembered remains were left behind by a brutal killer, destroying a family and unnerving the entire city. This caused pandemonium as the perpetrator managed to evade immediate capture, leading to a manhunt by authorities unlike any in recent memory. The horror of the crime was reminiscent of one 14 years earlier involving 13-year-old Mary Phagan, who was murdered at a pencil factory in Atlanta, and 5 years later when the 20-month-old son of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh was abducted from the family’s New Jersey home and brutally slain. The killer of Marion Parker was identified as former bank messenger William Edward Hickman, a 19-year-old with a score to settle and an appetite for killing. The career criminal’s capture, trial, and ultimate fate captured the public’s imagination, while putting attention on the age-old vulnerability of children in this country targeted by child predators and the often tragic consequences that rings true to this day. Included with the story are bonus excerpts of R. Barri Flowers' bestselling true crime shorts, Murder at the Pencil Factory and Mass Murder in the Sky, as well as an excerpt of the author’s international bestselling true crime book, The Sex Slave Murders. Follow R. Barri Flowers in Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Goodreads, LibraryThing, YouTube, Flickr, Wikipedia, and www.rbarriflowers.net and www.rbarriflowers.com. PRAISE FOR TRUE CRIME BOOKS BY R. BARRI FLOWERS "Selected as one of Suspense Magazine's Best of 2011 books." -- John Raab, CEO/Publisher on The Sex Slave Murders “A gripping account of the murders committed by husband-and-wife serial killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego." -- Gary C. King, true crime author on The Sex Slave Murders “A model of exposition not to be missed by anyone interested in the annals of American criminal behavior.” -- Jim Ingraham, Ph.D., professor emeritus of American Studies at Bryant University on The Pickaxe Killers "R. Barri Flowers always relates an engrossing story." -- Robert Scott, true crime author on The Sex Slave Murders "Striking, well-written tales sparkle in this ocean of murder." -- Diane Fanning, true crime author on Masters of True Crime “Exhaustively researched, each storyteller brings their own unique prose to these pages, creating what will soon become a true crime classic." -- Kevin M. Sullivan, true crime author on Masters of True Crime “This book should be a mandatory purchase and read for any true-crime buff.” -- Steven A. Egger, PhD, associate professor on Masters of True Crime “Incredible cases, psychopathic killers, unwitting victims, along with the very best writers, make for an exciting, no-holds-barred, soon-to-be true-crime classic.” -- Dan Zupansky, host of True Murder on Masters of True Crime "An indispensable sourcebook for anyone interested in American homicide, from law-enforcement professionals to armchair criminologists.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2014

About the author

R. Barri Flowers is an award-winning criminologist and bestselling author of romantic suspense, crime and thriller fiction, crime nonfiction and true crime, relationship novels, young adult mysteries, and children's books.

The author is a member of the International Thriller Writers,

Reviews

[K.A. Krisko · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a book, but more the length of a short story. I finished the main body of it in a half-hour; the first 28% (Kindle) was introduction, contents, etc., and the final 30% was previews of other stories and footnotes.

The event happened in 1927, and details from the time are scant. It really doesn't deserve more than a quick overview, given that the murderer was identified within days and he was captured, confessed, and tried with little fanfare. It was certainly grisly and tragic. There are virtually no details of the family other than the father, no indication of what they went through. Pretty much all the information in the book seems to have been taken from newspaper articles and at least some of it from Wikipedia (cited). It doesn't appear that there was any original research, though given the length of time that's elapsed since the crime, that's understandable.

It could probably stand alone as a long blog post or website feature. Not sure if it's worthy of book status, at least in this form. The writing and editing were fine, no typos or glaring grammatical errors.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tragic short rendition of the kidnapping and horrifying murder of a 12 year old girl. Tragic.

[Patricia S Winchel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the telling of a true story from 1927, a gruesome killing for ransom. The 12 year old was taken by the kidnapper from school under a pretense and after two tries, the kidnapper convinced the father to give the ransom money. Since the dad could see her in the car, he complied, only to have the killer push her dead body out of the car and speed away. He was caught rather quickly. It's a short book without any depth of detail. I really can't recommend it.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting but quick read.

This book is a short but interesting read. R. Barry Flowers tackles the sad story of a child's murder. I will look for more of this author works.

[Bettye McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tragic, haunting story

True crime fans will recognize the name Marion Parker, but this author includes a gold mine of details about the case.

Marion Parker, age 12, was abducted from her school and her kidnapper demanded ransom from her banker father. The first attempt to exchange the money for the child failed because of police presence.

However, the kidnapper again contacted Mr. Parker and another meeting was set. Mr. Parker could see Marion sitting in the car, so he handed over the ransom money. The kidnapper pushed Marion out of the car and sped away. Mr. Parker ran to his daughter but found her dead and mutilated.

I was stunned to learn that the kidnapper was born in Sebastian County, Arkansas, where I lived for 43 years. I noticed that the kidnapper's mother's maiden name was Buck which was also the name of one of his captors.

I found this book well-written, well-researched and interesting.

[Mrs F McCash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short sharp and to the point red!

There is no messing around with this book. It pulls no punches when describing the more gory details, so be prepared.

In saying that, the Bankers Daughter could have been a little longer? It works when giving an excerpt, bit the main story could have done to be expanded slightly.

Good read, would certainly read more of this authors work.

[Debra Barstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay book just wish it was longer more information would have been nice but it was short and to the point. A true crime story of a child murder in the 1940's in California. Would recommend to true crime fans.

[Chanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, tragic

I'm very interested in true crime stories. This was very informative and I love that the author included excerpts from other stories as well as links to his other books. I am shocked at the gruesome nature of Marion's death. rest her soul.

[Koren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet. You can read this in a half hour or less. Not enough time to get overly detailed or boring.