Spring Valley’s Four Winds Tragedy

On March 30, 1953, the quiet town of Spring Valley, Minnesota became the final stop in a deadly cross-country rampage. Two women—Harriet Horsman, a waitress, and Agnes Beaston, the café owner’s wife—were murdered during a holdup at the Four Winds Café. The killer? An 18-year-old Marine named Fred McManus, traveling with his 16-year-old girlfriend, Diane Weggland.

In this episode, Lenora and Preston trace the path of a spree that spanned five states and claimed five lives in just four days. From the café’s final shift to the couple’s arrest near Dubuque, Iowa, we explore the chilling contrast between McManus’s privileged upbringing and the violence he left in his wake. What drives a “nice boy” to commit such horror—and how did Spring Valley become part of a national nightmare?

📚 Sources Referenced

• The Minneapolis Star, March 31, 1953

• The Winona Republican, March 30 & April 1, 1953

• Post Bulletin, March 31, 1953

• Brainerd Dispatch, March 31, 1953

• The Winona Daily News, March 30, April 1 & April 2, 1953

• The Star Tribune, March 31, 1953

• Murderpedia – Fred McManus profile

• WikiTree – Harriet Emily (Combs) Horsman

• True Crime Archives – Fred Eugene McManus: 5-State Killing Spree