Local History Discussion: Germond Family Murders
This is your friendly reminder that if you haven’t signed up for our upcoming Local History Discussion on the Germond Family Murders of 1930, what are you waiting for (we’re running out of seats!)? On Wednesday, July 6th at 6:30 pm, we will be listening to Dr. Vincent Cookingham discuss his new book The Germond Family Murders: A Forensic Conclusion to a Cold Case. This case has been on the minds of many Dutchess County residents for nearly 90 years, and yet no one seemed to have the answer to the question “who did it?” until now.
On the night before Thanksgiving, in November of 1930, a silence fell over the Germond farm. On Thanksgiving Day, when James Germond did not show up for his milk delivery, folks thought it was odd as he wasn’t known for taking holidays off. Four bloodied bodies would be discovered the next day by a concerned fellow employee of Borden Milk Company. James, also known as Husted, his wife Mabel, and their two children, Bernice and Raymond, were all found stabbed multiple times. Within hours, the quiet farm was full of police cars, coroners, concerned neighbors, and the press.
The following months would see non-stop press coverage full of rumors, inaccurate details, and theories. Even in recent years, the internet has been full of thoughts on the case that still seems far from the truth. So how does one find the truth anyway? One must use modern forensic sciences on whatever remains of the evidence. The only person to have completed this work is Dr. Vincent Cookingham, a law enforcement officer, University Professor, and Dutchess County native. Dr. Cookingham was allowed access to the evidence over 80 years after the case went cold.
On July 6th, at our Boardman Road branch library, our local history discussion will cover Dr. Cookingham’s work and discoveries. Copies of his book will be available for purchase. Masks will be required as a large audience is expected. You can register for the event here. To read more about the Germond Family Murders you can read our previous blog post here.
