In this episode, we introduce the story of the Maple Falls Murder Farm! We discuss the creepy murderer who local papers blamed for the death of Frederick Dames (see previous episode: Bad Butchered Town) … and while this creepy murderer was perhaps Whatcom County’s first serial killer… did he really butcher the butcher? You be the judge!

In this week’s episode, we revisit one of our favorite Bellingham true-crime stories, the murder of a local butcher, Frederick Dames, in 1905. Though declared “solved” a few years later, doubts remain as to whether the supposed perpetrator was actually responsible for this particular crime.

Bad Trial Town, aka “For the Love of Moses” is about a sensational murder that occurred on Forest Street, near the Majestic Hall in Bellingham, Washington. It’s about a man who shot his wife and his son-in-law, who was also his wife’s lover. It’s about fancy-talking lawyers with pink toupees. It’s about an acquittal based on patriarchal biblical law. And lastly, it’s about the flaws in our justice system then and NOW.

THIS EPISODE’S STORY is about a murder that occurred on Forest Street, near the Majestic Hall in Bellingham, Washington. It is a rather sordid tale that involves a whole cast of seriously damaged folks. It’s about a man who shot his wife and his son-in-law,--- who was also his wife’s lover---. It’s about fancy-talking lawyers with pink toupees --and-- a particularly savage and patriarchal biblical law (even for the 1890's) filed under the Laws of Moses. And lastly, it’s about the flaws in our justice system then and NOW.