June 19, 2024 • 25 mins
Delve into the mysterious and chilling story of the Dumler Wilson murder as I explore shocking unsolved details that have haunted Mount Lookout since 1969. Join me as we uncover the chilling details and speculate on the possible theories behind this disturbing crime. Are you ready to unveil the secrets of the Dumler Wilson murders? Tune in now as I share the true details of this crime.
#DumlerWilson, #TrueCrime, #UnsolvedMysteries, #InvestigationDiscovery, #Crime, #Murder, #TrueCrimePodcast, #ColdCase, #Police, #Evidence, #Mystery, #Investigation, #CrimeScene, #UnsolvedMurders, #Forensics, #Homicide, #Suspects, #Shocking, #Victims #Cincinnati #OddMysteriesStories
http://crime-stoppers.us/sitemenu.aspx?P=index&ID=208
Shop our store:
https://omstories.creator-spring.com
Follow me on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OddMysteriesPage
Twitter https://twitter.com/Odd_Mysteries
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oddmysteries4u/
Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/OddMysteries/
Members
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/OddMysteries
For creators we use:
VidIQ - https://vidiq.com/oddmysteries/
#MurderMystery #TrueCrime #UnsolvedCase #oddmysteriesstories
All negative comments about victims or the story will immediately be deleted. If negative comments become a pattern, then you will be blocked from my channel. Please be kind and respectful.
👉All photos with the video remain the property of their respectful owners. If one of your photos is featured here without attribution, please leave a comment on the video, and full credit will be given.
All source information is available upon written request detailing the reason for requesting.
In my videos, I do my very best to research mostly from what I find online or from available articles. If I personally speak to anyone directly involved in the case, I will mention that in the video.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction:
01:05 - A Prosperous Family:
03:55 - Discovering the Bodies:
07:43 - Two Killers:
09:15 - The Investigation:
12:20 - Theory #1 - Corporate Crimes:
14:41 - Theory #2 - The Fox and the Crow:
15:40 - Theory #3 – Look Close:
17:46 - Theory #4 - A Stalker:
19:05 - Theory #5 - A Link to a Different Crime:
20:33 - Strange Apocrypha: The Bruckner Society Plaque:
22:43 - Today:
23:32 - The End:
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
When people get murdered, the question we hear most is, why?
(00:05):
Why did it happen?
Why those people?
Unfortunately, answers are hard to find
in the Dumbler Wilson murder case.
It happened on October 22nd, 1969,
between the hours of 11 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.
The victims were Martin Dumbler, aged 29,
his wife Patricia Dumbler, aged 27, and Mary Wilson,
(00:28):
Patricia's mother.
They were herded into an upstairs bedroom
in the couple's beautiful Mount Lookout home.
They were then tied up, shot to death, and then stabbed.
Very little about this crime makes sense.
It's difficult to pin down a motive,
and the evidence is scant.
(00:49):
This crime may even have ties
to a different unsolved Cincinnati murder,
one which you've heard about on my channel already.
There are secrets and shadows
swirling around the Dumbler Wilson murders.
Come along as I follow the threads
of this intriguing story.
(01:09):
The papers describe the Dumbler family
as socially prominent,
and it sure seems like a good description.
Marty was the grandson of artist
and musician Martin G. Dumbler,
who was a well-known composer of religious music,
a painter, and a local community leader.
Martin Dumbler Sr. was our victim's grandfather.
He started at the Chatfield and Woods Sack Company in 1883,
(01:33):
working as an office boy for $4 a week.
By 1929, he had become president of the company.
He would pass this title to his son, Marty's father.
Young Marty was expected to take
over the family business in due time.
The Chatfield and Woods Sack Company business endeavors
weren't very exciting.
It made sacks, bags, and packages for various products.
(01:58):
You can find pictures of some of their products today,
such as flour and cornmeal bags.
In 1969, the company was struggling
and explored a series of new markets
in the hopes of revitalizing revenues.
The effort must have been at least somewhat successful
as the company continued to do business
until the early 2000s.
(02:20):
Marty worked as a sales manager,
as such he traveled quite often for work.
Meanwhile, his wife, Patricia Ann,
worked as a part-time model for Lilian's dress shop.
Shortly before the murder, she accepted a second gig
with an upscale supper club called The Fox and the Crow.
Marty and Patricia were both old money graduates
(02:41):
of the University of Cincinnati.
They enjoyed a tight-knit social group
of former college friends who shared their social class.
The Dumblers held regular parties at their home
and were members of the Cincinnati Country Club.
Mary Wilson is considered to be unexpected,
(03:01):
collateral damage in this case.
She was known as a doting grandmother.
Mary was staying with her daughter and son-in-law
after her husband suffered a heart attack.
The police spent a great deal of time
analyzing Marty and Patricia's business affairs.
Marty had a gambling habit
and rumors swirled that he might have been making
(03:23):
shady business deals on the side.
But the police said the family finances were clean
and apparently found nothing in the chat field
and Wood's sack company finances
that could help them solve the murder case.
Friends and family said the Dumblers had a good marriage
with no extramarital affairs.
The kids, Martin Dumbler III, aged five,
(03:44):
and Jane Dumbler, aged four, were both in good health
and seemed happy.
So what dangers could have been lurking in the lives
of either Martin or Patricia Ann?
The children slept through the murders.
When they awoke on the morning of the 23rd,
they found themselves unable to awaken their parents
(04:07):
or even enter their parents' room
because the bodies were blocking the door,
still dressed in their pajamas.
The kids shuffled over to the home of Mrs. Lovett,
their next door neighbor.
This was just around the same time
that the family maid arrived.
Her name was Ruby Boner.
The maid discovered the bodies and called the police.
(04:28):
Then she asked Mrs. Lovett to watch over the kids.
It was clear that the killer had forced Martin,
Patricia, and Mary into an upstairs bedroom,
then proceeded to tie them up with cords
from the Dumblers' own appliances.
The cords were yanked from lamps, televisions,
and even an electric shoe polisher
(04:49):
binding their hands and feet.
It's possible the killer spent time speaking to the Dumblers
or even interrogating them before ultimately
pulling the trigger.
Martin had a gunshot wound in the right cheek.
Mrs. Dumbler suffered a gunshot wound to the head
and Mary also had a gunshot wound to the head.
(05:12):
Police believed the killer had used a pillow
as a silencer to keep the children from hearing the shots.
All three were killed with wad cutters or dumb dumb rounds.
These are rounds typically used for target practice.
The ammunition has sharp edges and loses its effectiveness
(05:33):
over distances of 25 yards.
When used up close, as in the Dumbler murders,
they spread when they hit the target,
making it very difficult for police to pin down
the caliber of the weapon used.
Police described it as a vicious bullet
to use on a human being.
Did the killer choose dumb dumb rounds
(05:55):
because that's what they had available?
Or did the killer know that using those rounds
would make the investigation more difficult?
Or maybe it was the viciousness of the bullet they wanted?
Making the Dumblers' death as painful as possible?
Sometime after killing Martin, Patricia,
and Mary with bullets, the killer brought out the knives
(06:16):
and already dead Martin was stabbed in the chest twice.
And Patricia was stabbed in the chest three times.
The killer then removed the cords
and took them out of the house.
Was the killer being overly cautious?
Did they wanna make sure their victims were dead?
And what motive did they have for such a vicious,
angry murder?
Could it be some sort of unresolved rage
(06:38):
with the Dumblers that inspired them
to add a few unnecessary stab wounds to the mix?
Regardless, the killer was professional enough
and smart enough to wipe the crime scene completely clean.
The only fingerprints in the house came from the victims.
Police later said they thought the gun
might have been a.38 caliber,
(07:00):
but only because a neighbor had a.38 stolen
from an unlocked car just two days prior to the murder.
They have never found the murder weapon
or definitively made any ballistic matches.
The man who reported the.38 stolen also reported
that it was armed with four Wadcutter bullets.
Someone would have had to be familiar with the neighborhood
to know that the gun was in the unlocked car
(07:22):
and working the neighborhood two days before the murder
to make use of such an opportunity.
There was no sign of forced entry,
leading police to believe that the Dumblers knew the killer.
The back door was wide open
by the time made Ruby Boner arrived.
The Dumbler home backed up to a heavily wooded area
that would have easily covered an escape.
Chances are the killer slipped out the back door
(07:44):
and escaped into the woods.
The nature and method of the killer suggests professionalism,
yet combined with a lack of planning.
The police have indicated they believe the killer was
someone who knew what they were doing.
At first, Detective Paul Morgan,
the original responding detective,
(08:06):
believed it was only one professional killer.
By the time cold case detective,
Kellyanne Best took over the case in 2019,
the theory had evolved to encompass at least two killers.
Both are said to be stellar detectives.
Either way, there was so much evidence
that makes very little sense.
(08:27):
Why go through all the trouble of cutting appliance cords
when the killers could have brought their own rope
or tape to do the deed was the binding and afterthought,
forcing them to work with whatever was there.
If there was only one killer,
perhaps the killer forced Marty to slice the cords
before binding the victims.
(08:48):
Maybe the killer knew they'd find something in the house
they could use and decided to travel light.
Also, why take the cords after committing the murder,
but not the two knives used for the stabbing?
The knives came from the Dumbler's own kitchen.
Police found only four of the five bullets fired that night.
Three were recovered from the bodies of the victims
(09:12):
and one was from the floorboard of the bedroom.
The fifth could have been lodged deeply into a mattress
beyond recovery.
The investigators worked hard on this case
and did what they could to overcome
the limitations inherent at the time.
They questioned roughly 75 suspects at the station
(09:33):
and conducted 20 polygraph exams,
which every subject passed.
They cased the neighborhood and spoke to
over 200 potential witnesses.
Police even wrote letters by hand
to officers in Atlanta and Los Angeles
to discern whether or not those departments
had similar cases on file.
(09:54):
They received over 500 tips,
though most of those tips led nowhere at all.
They carried away what reporters described
as sacks and sacks of evidence,
including a box of sandalwood
and a red metal container labeled private keep out.
Of course, this box is a tantalizing mystery
in its own right, but the nature of its contents
(10:16):
have never been released to the public.
Over the years, family members and friends
have been somewhat quiet and reserved
about the Dumbler Wilson case.
We don't know why that is,
and it doesn't necessarily mean anything.
There appears that a local true crime writer
did come into conflict with the family
(10:37):
by hinting that they knew more than they were saying,
which may have been completely inaccurate,
with the family simply seeking to deal
with the situation privately and directly
with the investigators and not air their thoughts
in the media.
Why have the family chosen to be so seemingly
secretive and quiet about this case?
(10:58):
It's tough to say, but it's important to recognize
that both the culture of the Dumbler Wilson social class
and the culture of the times
might have lent itself to a great deal
of grieving in private,
with few displays or conversations in public.
All indications show that Dumbler Wilson's family members
(11:21):
and close associates have cooperated with the police
at every turn.
So what do we know?
At this point, we know for sure
that the crime was not a robbery gone wrong.
Both Patricia and Mary were wearing expensive jewelry
and the killer or killers left cash in the house.
(11:41):
We also know that Martin had an argument
with a man on his driveway the day before the murders,
though it does not appear as though anyone
ever identified this man.
One witness reported seeing a man sitting in a car
near the Dumbler house at about 8, 10 p.m.
before Martin arrived home that night.
The cops ruled out murder, suicide.
(12:01):
Witnesses also say that the family seemed in good spirits
and didn't seem to think anything was amiss that day.
We also know that the police say that the killer
probably remained at the scene of the crime
for some time after the murders.
Both the stabbing and the waiting around afterwards
could indicate a cool professional
who was committed to making sure the Dumblers were dead
(12:24):
and who wasn't going to leave until he knew the job was done.
Did someone target Marty Dumbler to keep him
from stepping into the president's chair
at Chatfield and WoodSack Company?
Apparently, Marty often spoke about ousting his father
as president and complained that his father
had made several bad business deals.
(12:45):
He'd also been arguing with his brother-in-law,
Keith Keppley, who served as the company's corporate lawyer.
Keith Keppler is not currently a suspect.
He has an alibi for the night of the murders,
and their relationship was still good enough
that Keith was calling Marty to set up squash games
on the weekend of the murder.
(13:05):
It's also possible that Marty had some information
related to a federal case.
One of Martin's friends was in the middle of testifying
at a federal trial, a monopoly case regarding
a concrete company that had done some sort of business deal
with Chatfield and WoodS.
Still, an antitrust suit seems like a thin thread
(13:27):
on which to hang a murder case.
And to our knowledge, neither Marty nor Patricia
was directly involved in the concrete company's woes.
Any corporation certainly would have had the means
to hire killers who showed the same level of professionalism
as the Dumbler Wilson murderers showed,
(13:48):
but there simply isn't enough evidence
to create a firm connection.
Homicide Squad Chief Russell Jackson
believes it may be simpler than that.
He believes that Marty had created some shady business deal
with the man in the driveway and got in over his head.
In this theory, Martin Dumbler tries to cut
(14:08):
an unethical deal with a far more seasoned criminal,
but he talks too much and makes his partner nervous.
The speculated criminal then kills Marty
with Patricia and Mary Wilson as collateral damage
to cover his own tracks.
If this is the reason, the killer might have remained
in the house as long as he did to remove all traces
(14:29):
of his association with Marty Dumbler,
then stabbed them before leaving
just to be sure they were dead.
This suggests a seasoned criminal,
but not necessarily any kind of hitman
and offers perhaps the strongest explanation
for what may have happened that night.
(14:52):
The Fox and the Crow Club was rumored at the time
to have ties to local organized crime.
It's not clear what Patricia would have done at the club
as she probably wouldn't have been modeling dresses
at a supper club.
Investigators have observed that Patricia Ann
might have been the primary target of the murders
since she was stabbed more than the other victims.
(15:14):
If so, is there a chance she saw or heard something
at her new job that she was never meant to see or hear?
Even the perception that Patricia might have witnessed
something incriminating might have been enough
to get her killed, whether she actually did or not.
Unfortunately, we don't have much evidence
(15:34):
that the Fox and the Crow Club was ultimately
anything more than an upscale club.
And we don't know whether Patricia's new gig
could have led to the demise of her,
her mother and her husband.
When Detective Morgan took on this case,
he mentioned that his mentor had always told him to
(15:57):
look closely when a murder takes place.
Murderers almost always know they're victims.
And the motive is almost always personal.
There are hints in this case that looking closely
might be a good idea.
First, many of Martin's friends were big gun guys.
Many of them had 38s and had reloading equipment
(16:20):
that included wadcutters.
While most of those friends used shotguns,
not pistols, wadcutter ammunition,
would have been a common sight in Martin's social circle.
Martin himself was a gun enthusiast,
and the murderers might have known
that Martin had two guns in the home
on the night of the murder.
Still, the murderers chose to bring their own guns
(16:45):
rather than relying on Martins,
and might have tied Martin and his family up
to keep them from reaching the guns.
Again though, this is a thin thread
on which to hang any speculation at all.
Targeting rounds would have been an easy purchase to make,
and plenty of people owned guns at the time.
(17:06):
The only hint that there might have been dissension
in the friend group came from Martin's sudden
and quick moving relationship with Patricia.
Before her, he'd had a long time girlfriend
of five years named Sonny Pierce.
They broke up, and Marty married Patricia one year later,
a rather fast marriage by anyone's standards
(17:27):
after such a long relationship.
Perhaps Patricia Ann was already pregnant
with Martin the third at the time,
or perhaps Martin and Patricia really hit it off well together.
But if Sonny Pierce or any of her associates
are considered suspects,
such a link has gone largely unreported.
(17:47):
It would be easy to read a great deal
into that relationship,
but it seems a poor rationale for a murder
that would occur at a much later time.
Patricia Ann Dumler was renowned for her attractiveness.
While this blonde bombshell seemed happily married,
(18:08):
she had sought anxiety treatments
from a local psychiatrist.
Dr. Armstrong's notes indicated
that she'd been receiving numerous crank calls
in the era of landline phones,
calling a strange home,
saying nothing or breathing heavily into the receiver
was a common crank call.
(18:28):
It was a technique that stalkers often used
to intimidate their victims.
In addition, the owner of Lillian's dress shop
reported that Patricia had been harassed
by an overly attentive male customer
just a month before the murders.
Was Patricia the victim of an unhinged, crazed killer
who spotted her, wanted her, and couldn't have her?
(18:51):
Did her husband and mother become collateral damage?
It is absolutely worth noting here
that there were no signs of any kind of sexual assault
at this crime scene.
And all the bodies were fully closed,
which could rule out any kind of a sexual motive.
Still, nothing demands that a stalker gets sexual,
(19:13):
even if his feelings of rejection fuel
his desire to commit such a heinous crime.
If you'll recall, the Brickha family murders
took place in Cincinnati in 1966,
just three years before the Dumler Wilson killings.
The Brickha family home address is only a 25-minute drive
(19:34):
from the Dumler address.
There are some haunting similarities between the two
cases.
Jerry and Linda Brickha were about the same age
as Martin and Patricia.
Both cases involved a criminal who bound the victims
and stabbed them.
The killer used knives from the victim's kitchen
in both cases.
Both cases also seemed to involve a murderer
(19:55):
who was not new to killing in any way, shape, or form.
There are differences as well, though,
and the devil is in the details.
For example, in the Brickha family murders,
the murderer appeared to bring his own rope and tape,
though he also took the rope with him
after the deed was done.
The Brickha family murders did not
(20:17):
appear to involve a gun.
Though it's possible the Brickha killer brought a gun
that was never fired since they got the family
bound without using it.
Also, four-year-old Debbie Brickha
was brutally murdered alongside her parents.
However, in the Dumler Wilson murders,
the young children in the house were spared.
The police did explore a connection
(20:38):
between these two murders.
As of right now, they do not believe the two crimes are
related.
Do you think the similarities are too great to ignore?
In September 2017, a Bruckner Society plaque
was found on sale for $5 at a Smithville, Texas garage sale.
(21:00):
The plaque honored Dr. Martin G. Dumler,
Marty's grandfather for his work in the Bruckner
Society of America.
The Bruckner Society started by celebrating
the work of Anton Bruckner, a German musician.
Though Bruckner's music carries some disturbing connotations,
given that the musician was a favorite of Adolf Hitler
(21:21):
and many prominent Nazis, the Bruckner Society of America
seems to remain focused on a harmless enthusiasm
for classical music.
The plaque appeared to have been intended for Xavier University
in Ohio, though the Bruckner Society Journal,
CORD and Discord, reported that it was presented to New York
(21:42):
University in Lower Manhattan.
Either way, there was no connection to Texas,
leading one to wonder how a portrait plaque ended up
so far down south.
The Bruckner Society story that discusses the plaque
notes that they had to track the plaque down
from someone who purchased it from that same garage sale,
(22:03):
although not the seller, before the Bruckner Society could
reclaim it from the garage sale directly.
Oddly, there was a mention that the buyer shared a last name
with one of the murder suspects.
This is weird for two reasons.
First, no suspects have ever been named, at least not
(22:23):
in open media sources.
Even the speculation about this case
fails to name any suspects.
How did the Bruckner Society determine
that the person who tried to buy the plaque and take it home
had the same last name as a suspect?
Did they mean the name of a suspect
the police had looked at and then ruled out?
Or did they merely make a mistake when reporting the story?
(22:47):
The person who donated the plaque is unknown.
Witnesses mention a woman in a small gray truck,
but nobody knows who she is or where she came from.
This creates yet another question and story that's
full of them.
Police will tell you that the only way this 50-year-old crime
(23:07):
will ever be solved is if someone who knows something
comes forward and shares what they know.
So of course, I am compelled to ask,
do you know something about this crime?
Be sure to share with me what you know in the comments below
or share what you know with Cincinnati Crime Stoppers,
linked in the description below to help Martin Dumbler, Patricia
(23:30):
Dumbler, and Mary Wilson finally receive justice.
This is another sad, perplexing, and mysterious crime
that remains unsolved.
I only hope that one day the surviving family,
including the children that were obviously
affected by this crime, one day receive the closure
I'm sure they would welcome.
(23:52):
As the most important listeners in the world to me,
thank you so much for tuning in to this story.
So to quickly summarize, in October 1969,
Martin Dumbler, his wife, Patricia, and Patricia's
mother, Mary Wilson, were found murdered in their Cincinnati
home.
They were tied up, shot, and stabbed.
(24:14):
The next morning, the Dumbler children discovered the tragedy
when they couldn't wake their parents
and sought help from neighbors.
Despite a thorough investigation,
the case remains unsolved and the killer was never identified.
This case, like the Bricka family murders,
has left the community puzzled and searching for answers.
(24:35):
Since hearing this story, I do have a couple of questions
that I wasn't able to find the answers to in my research
on this story.
One, how did the bodies end up blocking the door to the room?
If not through the same door, how did the killer or killers
leave the room?
Or was one victim still alive just enough to barely reach
(24:57):
the door after the killers left?
In the next episode, I'll share the strange and mysterious
murder of the grime sisters.
Barbara and Patricia were brutally murdered,
and then their killer cleaned their naked bodies
before dumping them on the side of the road.
Can you believe that even Elvis Presley involved himself
in this case?
(25:17):
Tune into the next episode to hear all the details
of this case.
Please also consider following my podcast,
visiting my online merch store, or if you are feeling like I
could use a simple cup of coffee, go to my Patreon,
and buy me a cup, please.
Until next time, stay odd mysterious,
(25:39):
and tune into my real unsolved stories.
When people get murdered, the question we hear most is, why?
(00:05):
Why did it happen?
Why those people?
Unfortunately, answers are hard to find
in the Dumbler Wilson murder case.
It happened on October 22nd, 1969,
between the hours of 11 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.
The victims were Martin Dumbler, aged 29,
his wife Patricia Dumbler, aged 27, and Mary Wilson,
(00:28):
Patricia's mother.
They were herded into an upstairs bedroom
in the couple's beautiful Mount Lookout home.
They were then tied up, shot to death, and then stabbed.
Very little about this crime makes sense.
It's difficult to pin down a motive,
and the evidence is scant.
(00:49):
This crime may even have ties
to a different unsolved Cincinnati murder,
one which you've heard about on my channel already.
There are secrets and shadows
swirling around the Dumbler Wilson murders.
Come along as I follow the threads
of this intriguing story.
(01:09):
The papers describe the Dumbler family
as socially prominent,
and it sure seems like a good description.
Marty was the grandson of artist
and musician Martin G. Dumbler,
who was a well-known composer of religious music,
a painter, and a local community leader.
Martin Dumbler Sr. was our victim's grandfather.
He started at the Chatfield and Woods Sack Company in 1883,
(01:33):
working as an office boy for $4 a week.
By 1929, he had become president of the company.
He would pass this title to his son, Marty's father.
Young Marty was expected to take
over the family business in due time.
The Chatfield and Woods Sack Company business endeavors
weren't very exciting.
It made sacks, bags, and packages for various products.
(01:58):
You can find pictures of some of their products today,
such as flour and cornmeal bags.
In 1969, the company was struggling
and explored a series of new markets
in the hopes of revitalizing revenues.
The effort must have been at least somewhat successful
as the company continued to do business
until the early 2000s.
(02:20):
Marty worked as a sales manager,
as such he traveled quite often for work.
Meanwhile, his wife, Patricia Ann,
worked as a part-time model for Lilian's dress shop.
Shortly before the murder, she accepted a second gig
with an upscale supper club called The Fox and the Crow.
Marty and Patricia were both old money graduates
(02:41):
of the University of Cincinnati.
They enjoyed a tight-knit social group
of former college friends who shared their social class.
The Dumblers held regular parties at their home
and were members of the Cincinnati Country Club.
Mary Wilson is considered to be unexpected,
(03:01):
collateral damage in this case.
She was known as a doting grandmother.
Mary was staying with her daughter and son-in-law
after her husband suffered a heart attack.
The police spent a great deal of time
analyzing Marty and Patricia's business affairs.
Marty had a gambling habit
and rumors swirled that he might have been making
(03:23):
shady business deals on the side.
But the police said the family finances were clean
and apparently found nothing in the chat field
and Wood's sack company finances
that could help them solve the murder case.
Friends and family said the Dumblers had a good marriage
with no extramarital affairs.
The kids, Martin Dumbler III, aged five,
(03:44):
and Jane Dumbler, aged four, were both in good health
and seemed happy.
So what dangers could have been lurking in the lives
of either Martin or Patricia Ann?
The children slept through the murders.
When they awoke on the morning of the 23rd,
they found themselves unable to awaken their parents
(04:07):
or even enter their parents' room
because the bodies were blocking the door,
still dressed in their pajamas.
The kids shuffled over to the home of Mrs. Lovett,
their next door neighbor.
This was just around the same time
that the family maid arrived.
Her name was Ruby Boner.
The maid discovered the bodies and called the police.
(04:28):
Then she asked Mrs. Lovett to watch over the kids.
It was clear that the killer had forced Martin,
Patricia, and Mary into an upstairs bedroom,
then proceeded to tie them up with cords
from the Dumblers' own appliances.
The cords were yanked from lamps, televisions,
and even an electric shoe polisher
(04:49):
binding their hands and feet.
It's possible the killer spent time speaking to the Dumblers
or even interrogating them before ultimately
pulling the trigger.
Martin had a gunshot wound in the right cheek.
Mrs. Dumbler suffered a gunshot wound to the head
and Mary also had a gunshot wound to the head.
(05:12):
Police believed the killer had used a pillow
as a silencer to keep the children from hearing the shots.
All three were killed with wad cutters or dumb dumb rounds.
These are rounds typically used for target practice.
The ammunition has sharp edges and loses its effectiveness
(05:33):
over distances of 25 yards.
When used up close, as in the Dumbler murders,
they spread when they hit the target,
making it very difficult for police to pin down
the caliber of the weapon used.
Police described it as a vicious bullet
to use on a human being.
Did the killer choose dumb dumb rounds
(05:55):
because that's what they had available?
Or did the killer know that using those rounds
would make the investigation more difficult?
Or maybe it was the viciousness of the bullet they wanted?
Making the Dumblers' death as painful as possible?
Sometime after killing Martin, Patricia,
and Mary with bullets, the killer brought out the knives
(06:16):
and already dead Martin was stabbed in the chest twice.
And Patricia was stabbed in the chest three times.
The killer then removed the cords
and took them out of the house.
Was the killer being overly cautious?
Did they wanna make sure their victims were dead?
And what motive did they have for such a vicious,
angry murder?
Could it be some sort of unresolved rage
(06:38):
with the Dumblers that inspired them
to add a few unnecessary stab wounds to the mix?
Regardless, the killer was professional enough
and smart enough to wipe the crime scene completely clean.
The only fingerprints in the house came from the victims.
Police later said they thought the gun
might have been a.38 caliber,
(07:00):
but only because a neighbor had a.38 stolen
from an unlocked car just two days prior to the murder.
They have never found the murder weapon
or definitively made any ballistic matches.
The man who reported the.38 stolen also reported
that it was armed with four Wadcutter bullets.
Someone would have had to be familiar with the neighborhood
to know that the gun was in the unlocked car
(07:22):
and working the neighborhood two days before the murder
to make use of such an opportunity.
There was no sign of forced entry,
leading police to believe that the Dumblers knew the killer.
The back door was wide open
by the time made Ruby Boner arrived.
The Dumbler home backed up to a heavily wooded area
that would have easily covered an escape.
Chances are the killer slipped out the back door
(07:44):
and escaped into the woods.
The nature and method of the killer suggests professionalism,
yet combined with a lack of planning.
The police have indicated they believe the killer was
someone who knew what they were doing.
At first, Detective Paul Morgan,
the original responding detective,
(08:06):
believed it was only one professional killer.
By the time cold case detective,
Kellyanne Best took over the case in 2019,
the theory had evolved to encompass at least two killers.
Both are said to be stellar detectives.
Either way, there was so much evidence
that makes very little sense.
(08:27):
Why go through all the trouble of cutting appliance cords
when the killers could have brought their own rope
or tape to do the deed was the binding and afterthought,
forcing them to work with whatever was there.
If there was only one killer,
perhaps the killer forced Marty to slice the cords
before binding the victims.
(08:48):
Maybe the killer knew they'd find something in the house
they could use and decided to travel light.
Also, why take the cords after committing the murder,
but not the two knives used for the stabbing?
The knives came from the Dumbler's own kitchen.
Police found only four of the five bullets fired that night.
Three were recovered from the bodies of the victims
(09:12):
and one was from the floorboard of the bedroom.
The fifth could have been lodged deeply into a mattress
beyond recovery.
The investigators worked hard on this case
and did what they could to overcome
the limitations inherent at the time.
They questioned roughly 75 suspects at the station
(09:33):
and conducted 20 polygraph exams,
which every subject passed.
They cased the neighborhood and spoke to
over 200 potential witnesses.
Police even wrote letters by hand
to officers in Atlanta and Los Angeles
to discern whether or not those departments
had similar cases on file.
(09:54):
They received over 500 tips,
though most of those tips led nowhere at all.
They carried away what reporters described
as sacks and sacks of evidence,
including a box of sandalwood
and a red metal container labeled private keep out.
Of course, this box is a tantalizing mystery
in its own right, but the nature of its contents
(10:16):
have never been released to the public.
Over the years, family members and friends
have been somewhat quiet and reserved
about the Dumbler Wilson case.
We don't know why that is,
and it doesn't necessarily mean anything.
There appears that a local true crime writer
did come into conflict with the family
(10:37):
by hinting that they knew more than they were saying,
which may have been completely inaccurate,
with the family simply seeking to deal
with the situation privately and directly
with the investigators and not air their thoughts
in the media.
Why have the family chosen to be so seemingly
secretive and quiet about this case?
(10:58):
It's tough to say, but it's important to recognize
that both the culture of the Dumbler Wilson social class
and the culture of the times
might have lent itself to a great deal
of grieving in private,
with few displays or conversations in public.
All indications show that Dumbler Wilson's family members
(11:21):
and close associates have cooperated with the police
at every turn.
So what do we know?
At this point, we know for sure
that the crime was not a robbery gone wrong.
Both Patricia and Mary were wearing expensive jewelry
and the killer or killers left cash in the house.
(11:41):
We also know that Martin had an argument
with a man on his driveway the day before the murders,
though it does not appear as though anyone
ever identified this man.
One witness reported seeing a man sitting in a car
near the Dumbler house at about 8, 10 p.m.
before Martin arrived home that night.
The cops ruled out murder, suicide.
(12:01):
Witnesses also say that the family seemed in good spirits
and didn't seem to think anything was amiss that day.
We also know that the police say that the killer
probably remained at the scene of the crime
for some time after the murders.
Both the stabbing and the waiting around afterwards
could indicate a cool professional
who was committed to making sure the Dumblers were dead
(12:24):
and who wasn't going to leave until he knew the job was done.
Did someone target Marty Dumbler to keep him
from stepping into the president's chair
at Chatfield and WoodSack Company?
Apparently, Marty often spoke about ousting his father
as president and complained that his father
had made several bad business deals.
(12:45):
He'd also been arguing with his brother-in-law,
Keith Keppley, who served as the company's corporate lawyer.
Keith Keppler is not currently a suspect.
He has an alibi for the night of the murders,
and their relationship was still good enough
that Keith was calling Marty to set up squash games
on the weekend of the murder.
(13:05):
It's also possible that Marty had some information
related to a federal case.
One of Martin's friends was in the middle of testifying
at a federal trial, a monopoly case regarding
a concrete company that had done some sort of business deal
with Chatfield and WoodS.
Still, an antitrust suit seems like a thin thread
(13:27):
on which to hang a murder case.
And to our knowledge, neither Marty nor Patricia
was directly involved in the concrete company's woes.
Any corporation certainly would have had the means
to hire killers who showed the same level of professionalism
as the Dumbler Wilson murderers showed,
(13:48):
but there simply isn't enough evidence
to create a firm connection.
Homicide Squad Chief Russell Jackson
believes it may be simpler than that.
He believes that Marty had created some shady business deal
with the man in the driveway and got in over his head.
In this theory, Martin Dumbler tries to cut
(14:08):
an unethical deal with a far more seasoned criminal,
but he talks too much and makes his partner nervous.
The speculated criminal then kills Marty
with Patricia and Mary Wilson as collateral damage
to cover his own tracks.
If this is the reason, the killer might have remained
in the house as long as he did to remove all traces
(14:29):
of his association with Marty Dumbler,
then stabbed them before leaving
just to be sure they were dead.
This suggests a seasoned criminal,
but not necessarily any kind of hitman
and offers perhaps the strongest explanation
for what may have happened that night.
(14:52):
The Fox and the Crow Club was rumored at the time
to have ties to local organized crime.
It's not clear what Patricia would have done at the club
as she probably wouldn't have been modeling dresses
at a supper club.
Investigators have observed that Patricia Ann
might have been the primary target of the murders
since she was stabbed more than the other victims.
(15:14):
If so, is there a chance she saw or heard something
at her new job that she was never meant to see or hear?
Even the perception that Patricia might have witnessed
something incriminating might have been enough
to get her killed, whether she actually did or not.
Unfortunately, we don't have much evidence
(15:34):
that the Fox and the Crow Club was ultimately
anything more than an upscale club.
And we don't know whether Patricia's new gig
could have led to the demise of her,
her mother and her husband.
When Detective Morgan took on this case,
he mentioned that his mentor had always told him to
(15:57):
look closely when a murder takes place.
Murderers almost always know they're victims.
And the motive is almost always personal.
There are hints in this case that looking closely
might be a good idea.
First, many of Martin's friends were big gun guys.
Many of them had 38s and had reloading equipment
(16:20):
that included wadcutters.
While most of those friends used shotguns,
not pistols, wadcutter ammunition,
would have been a common sight in Martin's social circle.
Martin himself was a gun enthusiast,
and the murderers might have known
that Martin had two guns in the home
on the night of the murder.
Still, the murderers chose to bring their own guns
(16:45):
rather than relying on Martins,
and might have tied Martin and his family up
to keep them from reaching the guns.
Again though, this is a thin thread
on which to hang any speculation at all.
Targeting rounds would have been an easy purchase to make,
and plenty of people owned guns at the time.
(17:06):
The only hint that there might have been dissension
in the friend group came from Martin's sudden
and quick moving relationship with Patricia.
Before her, he'd had a long time girlfriend
of five years named Sonny Pierce.
They broke up, and Marty married Patricia one year later,
a rather fast marriage by anyone's standards
(17:27):
after such a long relationship.
Perhaps Patricia Ann was already pregnant
with Martin the third at the time,
or perhaps Martin and Patricia really hit it off well together.
But if Sonny Pierce or any of her associates
are considered suspects,
such a link has gone largely unreported.
(17:47):
It would be easy to read a great deal
into that relationship,
but it seems a poor rationale for a murder
that would occur at a much later time.
Patricia Ann Dumler was renowned for her attractiveness.
While this blonde bombshell seemed happily married,
(18:08):
she had sought anxiety treatments
from a local psychiatrist.
Dr. Armstrong's notes indicated
that she'd been receiving numerous crank calls
in the era of landline phones,
calling a strange home,
saying nothing or breathing heavily into the receiver
was a common crank call.
(18:28):
It was a technique that stalkers often used
to intimidate their victims.
In addition, the owner of Lillian's dress shop
reported that Patricia had been harassed
by an overly attentive male customer
just a month before the murders.
Was Patricia the victim of an unhinged, crazed killer
who spotted her, wanted her, and couldn't have her?
(18:51):
Did her husband and mother become collateral damage?
It is absolutely worth noting here
that there were no signs of any kind of sexual assault
at this crime scene.
And all the bodies were fully closed,
which could rule out any kind of a sexual motive.
Still, nothing demands that a stalker gets sexual,
(19:13):
even if his feelings of rejection fuel
his desire to commit such a heinous crime.
If you'll recall, the Brickha family murders
took place in Cincinnati in 1966,
just three years before the Dumler Wilson killings.
The Brickha family home address is only a 25-minute drive
(19:34):
from the Dumler address.
There are some haunting similarities between the two
cases.
Jerry and Linda Brickha were about the same age
as Martin and Patricia.
Both cases involved a criminal who bound the victims
and stabbed them.
The killer used knives from the victim's kitchen
in both cases.
Both cases also seemed to involve a murderer
(19:55):
who was not new to killing in any way, shape, or form.
There are differences as well, though,
and the devil is in the details.
For example, in the Brickha family murders,
the murderer appeared to bring his own rope and tape,
though he also took the rope with him
after the deed was done.
The Brickha family murders did not
(20:17):
appear to involve a gun.
Though it's possible the Brickha killer brought a gun
that was never fired since they got the family
bound without using it.
Also, four-year-old Debbie Brickha
was brutally murdered alongside her parents.
However, in the Dumler Wilson murders,
the young children in the house were spared.
The police did explore a connection
(20:38):
between these two murders.
As of right now, they do not believe the two crimes are
related.
Do you think the similarities are too great to ignore?
In September 2017, a Bruckner Society plaque
was found on sale for $5 at a Smithville, Texas garage sale.
(21:00):
The plaque honored Dr. Martin G. Dumler,
Marty's grandfather for his work in the Bruckner
Society of America.
The Bruckner Society started by celebrating
the work of Anton Bruckner, a German musician.
Though Bruckner's music carries some disturbing connotations,
given that the musician was a favorite of Adolf Hitler
(21:21):
and many prominent Nazis, the Bruckner Society of America
seems to remain focused on a harmless enthusiasm
for classical music.
The plaque appeared to have been intended for Xavier University
in Ohio, though the Bruckner Society Journal,
CORD and Discord, reported that it was presented to New York
(21:42):
University in Lower Manhattan.
Either way, there was no connection to Texas,
leading one to wonder how a portrait plaque ended up
so far down south.
The Bruckner Society story that discusses the plaque
notes that they had to track the plaque down
from someone who purchased it from that same garage sale,
(22:03):
although not the seller, before the Bruckner Society could
reclaim it from the garage sale directly.
Oddly, there was a mention that the buyer shared a last name
with one of the murder suspects.
This is weird for two reasons.
First, no suspects have ever been named, at least not
(22:23):
in open media sources.
Even the speculation about this case
fails to name any suspects.
How did the Bruckner Society determine
that the person who tried to buy the plaque and take it home
had the same last name as a suspect?
Did they mean the name of a suspect
the police had looked at and then ruled out?
Or did they merely make a mistake when reporting the story?
(22:47):
The person who donated the plaque is unknown.
Witnesses mention a woman in a small gray truck,
but nobody knows who she is or where she came from.
This creates yet another question and story that's
full of them.
Police will tell you that the only way this 50-year-old crime
(23:07):
will ever be solved is if someone who knows something
comes forward and shares what they know.
So of course, I am compelled to ask,
do you know something about this crime?
Be sure to share with me what you know in the comments below
or share what you know with Cincinnati Crime Stoppers,
linked in the description below to help Martin Dumbler, Patricia
(23:30):
Dumbler, and Mary Wilson finally receive justice.
This is another sad, perplexing, and mysterious crime
that remains unsolved.
I only hope that one day the surviving family,
including the children that were obviously
affected by this crime, one day receive the closure
I'm sure they would welcome.
(23:52):
As the most important listeners in the world to me,
thank you so much for tuning in to this story.
So to quickly summarize, in October 1969,
Martin Dumbler, his wife, Patricia, and Patricia's
mother, Mary Wilson, were found murdered in their Cincinnati
home.
They were tied up, shot, and stabbed.
(24:14):
The next morning, the Dumbler children discovered the tragedy
when they couldn't wake their parents
and sought help from neighbors.
Despite a thorough investigation,
the case remains unsolved and the killer was never identified.
This case, like the Bricka family murders,
has left the community puzzled and searching for answers.
(24:35):
Since hearing this story, I do have a couple of questions
that I wasn't able to find the answers to in my research
on this story.
One, how did the bodies end up blocking the door to the room?
If not through the same door, how did the killer or killers
leave the room?
Or was one victim still alive just enough to barely reach
(24:57):
the door after the killers left?
In the next episode, I'll share the strange and mysterious
murder of the grime sisters.
Barbara and Patricia were brutally murdered,
and then their killer cleaned their naked bodies
before dumping them on the side of the road.
Can you believe that even Elvis Presley involved himself
in this case?
(25:17):
Tune into the next episode to hear all the details
of this case.
Please also consider following my podcast,
visiting my online merch store, or if you are feeling like I
could use a simple cup of coffee, go to my Patreon,
and buy me a cup, please.
Until next time, stay odd mysterious,
(25:39):
and tune into my real unsolved stories.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!