107. Paradise Lost: The Chillingworth Murders of 1950s Florida

In the warm summer of 1955, Judge Curtis Chillingworth, Florida’s youngest ever circuit judge and a man known for his fairness would vanish from his beachside cottage in Manalapan, just south of West Palm Beach. His wife, Marjorie, disappeared with him. 

Footprints led to the sea and never came back.

What followed was one of Florida’s most shocking  true crime cases: a tale of organized corruption, political ambition, and backroom rackets. The judge had made powerful enemies because he didn’t bend the law for anyone.

This episode of Hard Times and True Crimes digs into the Chillingworth legacy, the dangerous underground justice system of 1950s Florida, and how one murder unraveled an entire network of dirty power.

If you love true crime stories steeped in Southern history, old Florida glamor, and morally complex characters, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Sources and Credits:

• Wikipedia – Curtis Chillingworth biography – His life, career, disappearance, and posthumous legacy  
• HistoricalCrimeDetective.com – Grim Justice coverage – Narrative dramatization and case context  
• Coastal Star – “Manalapan: 60 years on…” – Local retrospective on the murder’s lasting impact  
• Charley Project & Doe Network – Case summary, physical evidence, and post-disappearance detail  
• newspapers.com
• murderpedia.com
• findagrave.com
  • The Palm Beach Post (1984) – Recalled the Chillingworth murders as “Brutal, 1955” crimes and court drama.  
  • Time Magazine (1960) – Covered the case’s breakthrough under the headline “Crime: The Scoutmaster & the Judge”, detailing the chilling method of execution.  
  • The Coastal Star (2015) – “Manalapan: 60 years on…” revisited the case with fresh interviews and local recollections.  
  • Indiana Digital Newspapers (1961) – The Decatur Daily Democrat reported the dramatic courtroom reaction during Peel’s trial, even calling for the electric chair.  

🎶 Music Credits:

“Time of My Life” Music by Beat Mekanik" (@beatmekanik

• “Private Detective” Private Detective Mystery Theme
  BY ADAMMONROE
• (Both tracks sourced under royalty-free licensing

📖 Bonus Reading Recommendation:

The Least of These

 by Ricky Allred

A hauntingly powerful look at the forgotten lives of Randolph County’s poor.

In The Least of These, author Ricky Allred uncovers the deeply human, often heartbreaking stories of the men, women, and children who lived—and died—in the Randolph County Poor House between 1794 and 1922. With compassion, careful research, and local insight, Allred gives voice to those who were silenced by poverty, disability, illness, and neglect—people buried without names, remembered by few, but part of our shared history.

If you’re drawn to true crime because you’re captivated by the overlooked, the misunderstood,  this book will resonate deeply. 

You can order a copy here:

🔗 The Least of These by Ricky Allred on Amazon

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