Part Six
The rumor that circulated among Lake Forest residents was true. Records reveal that Will Orpet enlisted in the military after relocating to California. Several newspapers in the U.S. reported on August 12, 1920, dateline San Francisco, that Will Orpet, under the same of W. H. Dawson, was arrested “on a charge of wife desertion.” A young woman, identified as Olga Sarnowski, Detroit, MI, was the complainant and asserted she was the spouse of Will Orpet. Another paper wrote, “A marriage license was issued here yesterday to Olga Sarnowski, 19, and Will H. Orpet, both giving San Francisco as their desidence [sic].” The paper reported in the marriage announcement that both resided at 353 Van Ness Avenue.
Olga told the court she met Orpet while he was in the Army working as a mechanic in Detroit. Orpet was assigned to the 619 Aero Squadron, a Supply Unit, that had been organized in January 1918, with Stations in Kelly Field, TX; Waco, TX; and, Detroit, MI. The unit was later redesignated Detachment #9, Air Service, Aircraft Production. Orpet earned the rank of Sergeant.
Olga and Will did not remain married long. On January 5, 1924, Olga married Vincent Louis Lackey in Detroit, Michigan. The couple gave birth to a son Vincent S. Lackey, in 1938.
To some degree, Will meandered through life. After departing the Midwest for California, he lived in several places in The Golden State. According to the 1920 Census recorded for the 29th Assembly District of San Francisco, William Orpet was a “Lodger” with 21 others classified in the same manner under Elizabeth Buckholz, as “Head” of the lodging facility. No other person with the surname Orpet is listed on that Census record at that address. That must mean he was not with Olga at the Van Ness address referenced in the marriage announcement at the time of the 1920 Census was taken. His occupation was recorded by the census-take as an “Accountant.”
Ten years later, William Orpet was living in Santa Barbara County, Township 2. On the “Unincorporated place” line, and crossed out, is “Hope District.” (How ironic.) The “Head” of the household is his father, Edward, age 74, along with his mother and him as their 35-year-old “Son.” The “Occupation” of both William and his father is recorded as “Nurseryman.”
According to 1940 census, William Orpet was a resident of “Lynwood City, Country of Los Angeles, California. He was living at 3717 Platt Avenue with his wife Katherine S. Orpet, who was born in Wyoming. William’s occupation is recorded as “Electro Plater” for a “heat control & gas supplier.” He reported that he “works 52 weeks per year with an income of $2,565.”
When America entered World War II, William Orpet registered with Selective Service, he was age 47 at that time. He did not serve in the military during World War II.
Will passed away on February 17, 1948.
old spirituals 
Another brilliant story from Nicola Di Crescenzo! The image of the girl standing in the rain and smiling with a black-stained mouth is very creepy!
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I am humbled by the compliment and very appreciative.
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Will definitely murdered Marion. If she lied about being pregnant, she was probably desperate to stop his new relationship. Who knows what else she would do? That was probably Will’s thinking anyway. Great story, Nicola!
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Thanks you, Ruby.
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What a sad story! Both Will and Marion seemed to be troubled young people. Possibly faking a pregnancy to win a boyfriend back isn’t the portrayal of a stable person. Will’s changing story of the meeting with Marion is troubling. Whatever happened, both families lives were destroyed. Will also lived a very unstable life after the tragedy. I’m not sure what really took place in those woods that day, but the jury must not have been convinced of murder beyond a reasonable doubt.
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You’re right about Will. He exemplifies the consequences of a bad life decision. He wanted to become a journalist to write stories, instead he became the story for other journalists to write about his entire life.
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Great research on this, Nicola! I’m always interested in what becomes of people after the story.
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That’s a great point. He escaped prison but there was some bit of justice. What a life he could have had!
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It’s a little creepy to think that Marion can still be seen off the side of the road. It’s hard to say what truly happened since we only know Will’s side of the story, although it’s odd his story kept changing and the case changed the trajectory of his entire life. I believe it was an accident whether it was him that gave her too much poison or her that took to much. She wanted love, not death. Will didn’t want her dead, he just wanted someone else. It seems like whatever she had planned to do, she would have told Josephine.
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Those are very good points! There was no malice between them. And Will told many versions of what happened but he certainly never told the truth. Curious what the author will say.
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I believe we have a meeting of the minds.
While researching this story, by pure coincidence, I spent a week in and around the Lake Forest area. I even drove Sheridan Road. I wasn’t aware of Marion’s apparition until later, so I didn’t try to experience it for myself. Suffice it to say, Will was Marion’s first true love which made him irresistible. I believe she would have done anything to continue a relationship with him. However, I do not believe she would have INTENTIONALLY committed suicide.
Conversely, I do not believe Will would have INTENTIONALLY poisoned Marion. Whatever the sequence of events, I believe the consumption of cyanide was intended for a reason other than murder. For me the case is a confluence of actions that resulted in an unintended consequence.
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just seems odd that Marion went into the woods by herself with an angry ex and didn’t ask her best friend to come with. Also seems odd that she actually did have a letter to send and still had it in her hand. It seems odd that Will only remembers walking off and then something happening to Marion after he turned around, it also seems odd that Josephine Davis her best friend didn’t go with her and also changed her story halfway through the trial and devastated the family. Weird
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I think so too! This is a Nicola post, I’m curious what he thinks!
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