On July 24, 1946, Marjorie Church Logan, the wife of prominent banker and local politician William John Logan, was fatally shot at the family's estate on Bonnie Heights Road in Flower Hill, New York during a home invasion, prior to their daughter, Marjory Jeanne Logan, being shot twice and raped. The murder-rape, along with the associated trial, received significant attention and coverage from the media – including from ''

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'' and ''

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''.

Description

Background

During the morning hours on July 24, 1946, the Logan estate, located on Bonnie Heights Road in the Incorporated Village of Flower Hill, was broken into by 23-year-old Ward Beecher Caraway, who worked as a butler and chauffeur at another Flower Hill estate, located on Greenbriar Lane. Soon after entering the home, Caraway confronted Marjorie Church Logan in the living room and demanded that she give him money, then fatally shooting her. Caraway then exited the living room and went upstairs, where he shot twice and raped Marjory Jeanne Logan in her bedroom, severely injuring her. Marjory Jeanne Logan, although severely wounded from the assault and rape, escaped the house through the back door, where painter Theodore Click, who was doing work at a neighboring home, heard her crying for help. Click quickly transported her to receive medical assistance. Despite the extent of her injuries, Marjory Jeanne Logan made a full recovery.

Investigation and manhunt

Caraway had fled the crime scene before the

Nassau County Police Department The Nassau County Police Department is the law enforcement agency of Nassau County, New York. History In 1925, concerned about rising crime rates, the County Board of Supervisors voted to create the Nassau County Police Department, replacing ...

and

detectives A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...

were able to arrive at the scene. An intense manhunt quickly ensued, during which roughly 200 potential suspects were interviewed and found to have had no involvement. Caraway, on August 2, eventually confessed to his role in the murder and rape – a week after he committed the crimes, for which he was then charged. During his interview with the police and detectives, Caraway also showed the authorities where he fled, and where he disassembled the gun which he used, which was equipped with a .32 caliber revolver.

Trial and conviction

During a dramatic trial in court, Caraway was handed a guilty verdict by the court. He also admitted to being high on drugs at the time of the crimes. He was handed the death sentence by the courts and imprisonment at Sing Sing Prison in the Town of Ossining, New York, where he was ultimately executed for his crimes on the evening of July 3, 1947 by

electrocution Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from "electro" and "execution", but it is also used for accidental death. The term "electrocution" was coined ...

, through the use of an electric chair.{{Cite news , last=Sheffield , first=Wesley , date=July 5, 1947 , title=Caraway Calm as He Dies in Chair: Caraway Calmly Dies in Chair, Pays Penalty for Logan Murder , pages=1–2, 8 , work=

, via=

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References

Flower Hill, New York 1946 murders in the United States Crimes in New York (state) Deaths by person in New York (state) 1946 in New York (state) July 1946 events in the United States 1940s crimes in the United States Deaths by firearm in New York (state) Crimes on Long Island, New York 1946 crimes in the United States Crime in the New York metropolitan area