David Wilson - Not Just Evil: Murder, Hollywood, and Californias First Insanity Plea

Diversion Books
A Division of Diversion Publishing Corp.
443 Park Avenue South, Suite 1008
New York, NY 10016
www.DiversionBooks.com

Copyright 2016 by David Wilson
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

For more information, email

First Diversion Books edition December 2016
ISBN: 978-1-68230-326-9

The trial of William Edward Hickman is arguably ground zero in the debate over the potential negative influence of violence and mayhem in movies on the development of young minds. This debate has broadened to include the influence of violent video games, with no clear winner on either side of the argument. What is compelling in the Hickman case is the impact his interest in films had on one of Hollywoods major filmmakers, Louis B. Mayer. The efforts of Louis B. Mayer to protect the image of the film industry are the subject of ongoing debate.

In 1927, when newsreels were a part of the movie-going experience, the murder of Marion Parker by William Edward Hickman shocked a nation. The debate over whether or not the events surrounding his trial should be presented in theaters led to the formation of the Hayes Commission and the first federal efforts to censor the film industry.

Hickman openly admitted that his fascination with movies influenced his decision to commit murder, and the admission became the basis for his insanity plea. The admission came during the transition from silent films to films with sound. Hollywood was in a state of confusion over how to effectively make the transition. During the trial Hickmans attorneys made no effort to deny he was responsible for the death of Marion Parker. Instead, the defense maintained that Hickman lived in a fantasy world supported by daily visits to the cinema. This addiction to watching movies was the legal basis for his plea of innocence by reason of insanity. This created a second problem for Hollywood, beyond the nuisance of censorship. If the public decided watching a violent movie was harmful to children, the film industry could potentially collapse.

This account of the events surrounding the trial of William Edward Hickman is based on photocopies of trial transcripts, magazines, books, and newspaper articles written between 1926 and 1928. The movie-related material is from the extensive depository of films located at the Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in Southern California. This library also provided information on the history of the motion picture industry, and the impact these events had on the efforts by the federal government to regulate the content of films shown in theaters.

This book would not have been possible without the assistance of the employees of the California State Archives, who first found and then provided copies of William Edward Hickmans trial and his appeal. The Los Angeles Times was my source for background information on the professional and unprofessional behavior of District Attorney Asa Keyes.

Because this story is nonfiction, all documents are reproduced as they were written, including misspellings and grammatical errors. Some errors indicate the individuals inability to communicate clearly, while others may reflect their state of mind when the quoted correspondence was recorded. The reconstruction of Hickmans life as it pertains to the kidnapping and killing of Marion Parker has been well-documented. Many of the statements made by William Edward Hickman as to his complicity in the kidnapping and murder are contradictory, and appear to be self-serving. As to the question of William Edward Hickmans sanity: draw your own conclusions, just like the twelve citizens who heard all the testimony presented in this book.

You are talking about the devil incarnate. Not just evil, but the most evil man I have ever dealt with in my life. He was an untalented, mean, vicious, vindictive man.

Helen Hayes, Actress

William Edward Hickman was arrested for the kidnap and murder of Marion Parker in December of 1927. The victim was twelve years old. Her father paid the ransom and found his daughter with her arms and legs removed from her body. The next day gruesome photos of the deceased appeared on the front pages of newspapers across the country. Within a week the crime was the subject of newsreels, shown in movie theaters alongside cartoons and two feature films. The graphic nature of the pictures of the crime scene was unprecedented.

The United States was in the midst of a period of economic prosperity following World War I. The decade was called the Roaring Twenties, reflecting an optimistic feeling about the possibilities of positive social change. Prohibition spawned a new style of nightclub called the speakeasy. These clubs featured a new style of music called jazz. Women danced to jazz in a new style of dress called flappers. The country was one continuous party, and no one expected it to stop. The search for the person responsible for the kidnap and murder of Marion Parker shifted the mood of the country.

Before the Great Depression of 1930 devastated America, the state of California was inundated with tens of thousands of migrants hoping to make their fortune in a thriving and diversified economy. Within the geographic boundaries of the Golden State, Los Angeles seemed to offer the most promise, and the citys rapid growth reflected this perception. People moved to Los Angeles looking for a good life, and once they arrived they made every effort to make their dreams come true.

Manhattan Place was one of the alluring communities drawing people to Southern California. It was a residential street lined with single-family homes, well-manicured lawns, and shade trees that the inhabitants cooled under during the hot summer months. When interviewed by local newspapers most residents of Manhattan Place described their neighborhood as quiet and mundane. It was the lifestyle they expected, because they lived in an affluent area they believed was insulated from crime.

On December 19, 1927, just six days before Christmas, all the families living on Manhattan Place lost their innocence. The driver of a black sedan drove down the street looking for the man who was going to pay him a $1,500 ransom. His late-model vehicle stopped alongside a car already parked next to the curb but facing in the opposite direction. The middle-aged man waiting in the car was the father of kidnap victim Marion Parker.

Before a single word was exchanged, the kidnapper pointed a double barrel shotgun out of his car window, the muzzle coming within inches of Mr. Perry Parkers face.

You see this gun? The question was muffled by a mask covering the kidnappers face.

I see it, the father said, while turning his head in an effort to get a better look at what he hoped was his daughter sitting in the passenger seat.

Well, did you bring the money?

As Mr. Parker held up a fist full of twenty-dollar gold certificates in front of the shotgun muzzle, he responded by saying, Here it is.

The man who was terrorizing the Parker family motioned with his hand. Give it to me.

Wheres Marion? the father asked.

Right here, shes asleep. In the darkness, midway between two streetlights, Mr. Parker could barely make out the face of his daughter seated next to the kidnapper. It was a tricky situation for the distraught father, who had no real choice except to hand over the money. Mr. Parker later stated he thought he saw his daughter look his way, but wasnt sure. He remembered growing impatient with the silence following the exchange. It was as if the kidnapper had stopped to count each bill before deciding what he would do next.