This post shares the research I did about a real crime scene photo.

Miss Alberta Thomas was murdered at her home at 69 W. 135th street on New York City Tuesday, April 14, 1914, between the hours of 9 and 10 a.m. Alberta lived on the second floor of the building and she had a roommate, a Mrs. Scott.

Unlike the crime scene we covered last week involving Barbara Cornelius, there was no mystery about who committed the murder and there was, at least, an idea of the motive. It was done by Albert Willword, who had been dating Alberta for a year. Albert lived at No. 29 Roosevelt Street. Willword was a railroad man.

On the morning of April 14, other tenants in Alberta’s building could hear the couple quarreling. Alberta was confronting Albert about his supposed interest in another girl. The fierce shrieking suddenly gave way after four rapid gunshots were heard.

Albert had fired his gun at his girlfriend, and hit her once in the breast and once in the neck. “After shooting her four times, a frenzied Albert took a razor which he used on his victim most industriously,” the Evening World stated. “When found, Alberta’s face and body were badly cut.”

When Willword ceased his cutting and had a look at his handiwork, he panicked. He threw the pistol under Alberta’s bed. Without stopping to dress, he ran through the second-floor apartment and leapt out the back window clad only in his underwear.

Albert landed on the concrete beneath the window, breaking his leg in the process.  Alberta’s neighbors prevented Willword from escaping by holding him prisoner until Policeman Bruns came and arrested him.

Willword was taken to Harlem Hospital, and placed under arrest. When the police asked if he had killed Miss Thomas, he admitted he had, saying, “I shot and cut her.”

There was no follow up to this case in the newspapers.

The strangest thing about this case, in my opinion, is that every newspaper article said the motive for the crime was jealousy, meaning that Alberta was jealous of Albert and another girl.

This seems strange to me. How can the victim’s emotions be a motive for murder? Maybe Albert was angry about Alberta’s jealousy or fearful of what she might do. But from what we know, there’s no reason to think he was jealous of her. What do you make of it?