Price, Lucille (1913-1931)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1931 Feb 11 p. 1

Birth date: 1913

text of obituary:

LUCILLE PRICE BODY FOUND

Lying in a ditch beside the road and almost completely hidden by tall grass, the body of a girl was found this morning seven miles south and eight and one-fourth miles east of Newton, by Robert Jordan, a farmer, and was positively identified by relatives here this afternoon as that of Lucille Price, 18, of this city, who has been missing since the night of January 24, according to reports from county officials here.

The body was badly bruised and showed cuts about the scalp. By the clothing being torn and the coat being found about 20 feet from the body, circumstances indicate that a struggle had taken place at the place the body was found. A set was missing from a ring which she wore on her left hand and the ring bent. She had evidently been beaten considerable about the head and face.

Indications are that the body had been in the position beside the road for a considerable length of time — probably since she has been missing from Newton — those in charge of the body believe. The body was frozen when found and had probably been in a frozen condition for some time. It had been in the spot long enough for green grass to start growing under it, those who were ar the scene said.

The body was identified by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Price and other relatives. The clothing was identical to that worn by Lucille the night of her disappearance.

Robert Jordan, a farmer, made the discovery this morning about 9:00 as he was searching for some of his mules that had strayed. There are no houses near the spot where the body was found and the weeds and grass were about three feet high. It had rained since the time of the struggle, or whatever it was that took place at the spot, so there were no marks to plainly indicate what had happened.

Dr. M. C. Martin, coroner, was called immediately and took charge of investigations in conjunction with other county officers.

A coronr's [sic] jury was called at the spot the body was found this morning, composed of residents of the community, and decided that the girl met death by foul means at the hands of parties unknown.

The survivers [sic] of Miss Price are: Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Price, her mother and father, 1316 Plum street; two brothers, D. F. Price and Kenneth Price, who live with their parents; H. W.Price, 402 West Twelfth; a brother, L. R. Price of Youngston [sic Youngstown], O., and another Thuran [sic Thurman], of Fort Snelling, Minn., and a sister, Edith, of Kansas City.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1931 Feb 11 p. 4

text of obituary:

LOCAL

. . .

The fate of Miss Lucille Price, 18, of 1316 Plum, who disappeared from Newton the night of January 24 still remained a mystery today after two weeks of efforts by local police and her parents to locate her.

Her brother, H. W. Price of 402 West Twelfth, said this morning that the situation was becoming quite serious. Communication with relatives in Kansas City, have revealed nothing. There are no clues as to where she went nor with whom she went.

She was last seen by Miss Helen Spriggs, her chum, when the two girls parted at the corner of Main and Twelfth on their way home, more than two weeks ago. Miss Spriggs said this morning that she had heard nothing of Lucille, and that there was nothing to the idea that she kn ew more than she was telling. She is though to have been picked up by parties in a Hudson automobile.

What few clues there were, traced by police or relatievs [sic], have revealed nothing.