Murder & Mayhem in Erie, Pennsylvania

by Justin Dombrowski

Gruesome Tales From the Gem City of the Great Lakes

From the French and Indian War to Oliver Hazard Perry at the Battle of Lake Erie, the city of Erie has a prideful place in the American story, but there also exists a seedy history of crime and murder.

In 1905 Detective James "Jimmie" Higgins was mysteriously killed at Central High School and the drawn-out manhunt for his murderer occupied headlines for months. On a cold January night in 1911, a massive explosion rocked the Erie waterfront when criminals bombed the Pennsylvania Railroad Coal Trestle, leaving it a smoldering mass of steel and debris. The unsolved murder of Manley W. Keene inspired a local newspaper to bring in the "Female Sherlock Holmes," Mary Holland, who defied gender expectations and reshaped detective work in Erie for generations.

Author Justin Dombrowski uncovers dark stories from Erie's illicit past.

160 pages, Paperback

Published June 13, 2022

Reviews

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book because it all took place in Erie, which is close to where my family has lived for decades. The murders took place during the timeframe of my great great grandparent’s lives. They would have known about the cases in the book. I recognized the locations of where all these murders took place and how life goes on and it was all forgotten in the dustbin of history.

[Andrea Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love true crime and being from Erie I definitely enjoyed the stories! It was harder to read because of all of the names being thrown around as well as having to flip back and forth for references within the text. I did enjoy the peak into the underworld of the city I am from and how far police work has come!

[Ang S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out quite interesting, and I was excited to read about Erie crimes of the past. As I continued to read, the book seemed to drag on. There are cases that are still unsolved so there isn't closure. The cases were drawn out with too much speculation, mostly via town gossip and two rival newspapers trying to outdo each other.

[Jeff Bobin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A number of interesting stories from the early 1900 that show many things that were different in those time and how some things are not all that different.

Entertaining.

[Valerie Cortes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not a fan. I needed closure on the cases. I didn't get that.