While researching newspaper coverage of other crimes, I came across trial coverage of the strange murder of Clothilde Marchand in 1930. What came out of that trial is a bizarre tale with the following ingredients: A Ouija board, witchcraft, an Indian faith healer, manipulation and coercion to kill, and a philandering sculptor who claimed it was necessary for him to “make love”  with his models out of “professional necessity.”

With those wackadoo components, I naturally looked into writing a feature story about this case. Unfortunately, others have already done it and they did a fine job of it.

This is one of those stories you can’t make up.

Below are links to two stories from contemporary writers who have written about this case.

The Ouija board murder: Tricking tribal healer Nancy Bowen to kill – David Krajicek, New York Daily News. I am familiar with his work on other crimes and you have to take the accuracy of his research with some skepticism. With that exception, his writing is entertaining.

Clothilde Marchand: done in by witchcraft, jealousy, and philandering husband – Elizabeth Licata, BuffaloSpree.com,

Google News Archive link to trial coverage of Lila Jimerson