On This Date in Minnesota History: April 17

April 17, 1963 - Henry W. Butler and Willard Ingram admitted to Minneapolis police that they had stolen Wayne F. Brandt’s Luger (the gun used to bludgeon Carol Thompson on March 6) from his apartment on Feb. 14, and sold it to Norman Mastrian and Sheldon Morris. Both men were found to have criminal records and were being sought by police.

This lead was the big break the authorities were looking for, and the beginning of the end for T. Eugne Thompson.

Minneapolis Morning Tribune; “Minneapolis Police Work Rated ‘Good Job’ by St. Paul Officer”; April 20, 1963; pp. 1 and 6.

The pistol handle pieces shown in newspapers.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/087542290X?ie=UTF8&index=1Oct. 1963 issue of Front Page Detective

Murder of Carol Thompson; see March 6, 2013 blog


Gun handle pieces found at the scene of Carol Thompson’s murder identified; see April 9, 2013 blog


Suspects arrested in Carol Thompson’s murder; see April 19, 2013 blog


Suspect implicates another as actual murderer in Carol Thompson case; see April 21, 2013 blog


T. Eugene Thompson represented one of the suspects in his wife’s murder; see April 23, 2013 blog


Pistol used to bludgeon Carol Thompson found; see April 30, 2013 blog


T. Eugene Thompson walks out on grand jury; see May 2, 2013 blog


Getaway car in Carol Thompson murder located; see May 3, 2013 blog


Blood-stained trousers believed to have been worn by Carol Thompson’s murderer found; May 9, 2013 blog


Suspect in Carol Thompson’s murder confesses, implicates T. Eugene Thompson; see June 20, 2013 blog


T. Eugene Thompson arrested in his wife’s murder; see June 21, 2013 blog


T. Eugene Thompson’s role in wife’s murder revealed to public; see June 22, 2013 blog


Minn. Supreme Court affirms T. Eugene Thompson’s conviction; see Jan. 7, 2014 blog

Minn. Supreme Court denies T. Eugene Thompson’s attempt to collect wife’s insurance death benefits; see Feb. 10, 2014 blog