Lucina C. Broadwell - Wood Detective Agency Investigation

Wood Detective Agency Investigation

James R. Wood, Jr., of the Wood Detective Agency (Boston, MA) was hired by the State of Vermont to conduct an investigation into the murder. Wood was considered a "Chief Detective" and was considered "the best known detective in New England." Wood and his team had arrived in Barre on May 7, the same day as Lucina's funeral, before her body was transferred to Johnson for burial. At the end of the investigation Wood stated that the Broadwell case was "one of the strongest circumstantial cases ever tried."

When Wood arrived in Barre, he met with Attorney General Archibald and other local officials. It had already been deduced that Lucina had been murdered at the Buzzell Hotel and her body moved to the garden where it was ultimately found. Wood interviewed Harry Broadwell, because at that time, it was largely believed that Harry killed Lucina. Wood, however, quickly dismissed this theory since Harry had "a perfect alibi" for all of his activities the night of the murder. Harry did reveal that he believed his wife was "sporty." Wood quickly identified George R. Long as a person of interest. Long, at that time, was a resident of the Parker house. Harry had told Wood that he suspected Lucina was having an affair with a resident of the Parker house. When initially questioned, Long denied having met Lucina.

Wood also followed another lead provided by Harry Broadwell. Harry had told Wood that Lucina had a good friend by the name of Grace Grimes, who had relocated to the Boston area. Wood immediately had his office locate Grace. When interviewed, Grace confirmed that she often corresponded with Lucina by letter and that her most recent letter was from the day of the murder. In the letter, Lucina spoke about meeting a lodger of Mrs. Isabelle Parker's named George. During the interview with Grace it surfaced that Parker ran a brothel and hosted "so-called cheating parties." Lucina had participated on numerous occasions.

Upon his return to Vermont, Wood interviewed Isabelle Parker, who admitted that Lucina had been at her house the night of the murder and met with Long. There was evidence that Lucina and Long had dinner together and her autopsy showed that she had eaten approximately one hour before her murder. A search of Parker's house revealed the "Famous Red Book", which listed her customers, "many prominent people, both male and female, of Barre, Vermont." Wood was able to deduce how Parker operated her brothel in downtown Barre:

She would go about Barre and get a line of the different men and women who were inclined to be a little sporty. For example, if she knew I was a married man and like to step out, she would make it her business to form my acquaintance and eventually tell me that a certain woman, either married or single, was infatuated with me and would like to meet me. She would invite me down toher house at a certain time and tell me to come in the back door and when I arrived, would introduce me to some woman, either married or single, whom she had told the same story to that she had told me, namely she would tell the woman that I desired to meet her. In that way she would bring the couples together and they would have their parties there, and naturally the men would pay her something for the use of the room or rooms.

One week after Broadwell's body was found, Wood questioned Long once again. After disclosing what Parker admitted to, Long finally confessed to knowing Lucina, but denied murdering her.

Wood's investigation proved invaluable to the Broadwell prosecution team. It was Wood who found two major clues:

1. "a tire track beside the street curb near where the body was found" and
2. the owner of the handkerchief that was tied around Lucina's neck.

The tire track was eventually traced back to a car rented by Long. The handkerchief's owner, Eddie Barron, testified at Long's trial that the handkerchief had been given to Long by Barron.

It is also interesting to note the fact that Wood kept his notes very detailed. At one point in his report he stated that he "had become disgusted and had left Vermont." He also recorded how the local officials "told me they thought I was crazy and thought I had been on a wild goose chase." Another excellent example of how Wood included details about his own experiences intermixed with his investigation is his discussion of his first night in Vermont:

"I then spent the entire night at work alone on this case. I visited the lot where the body was found, visited the Buzzell Hotel, studied the lightening conditions and decided then that Mrs. Broadwell wasnot killed in the Buzzell Hotel. I returned to the hotel shortly before breakfast, no one knowing that I had been working all night."