Kerry Tobin wrote in another thread: "on the other hand, I never would have believed there would be two different murders in one year in my lifetime."

Kerry, go to the newspaper archives. There was a year in which there were 4 murders, maybe 5. I still lived in Tomahawk. I want to say it was about 1987. Two people, a husband and wife, were murdered in Irma. The murderer was caught, he was a drug addict. I believe he was from Tomahawk. The same year a man was murdered by his wife or girlfriend's boyfriend or husband. It was one of those messy domestic situations. The same year a man was murdered in Tomahawk by his wife. I'd have to get my diaries out to check dates. I remember some of the families involved but do not want to use them on a public board. I'm sure others remember the cases I'm talking about. And I vaguely remember a 5th murder.

Murder is always tragic, but it isn't anything new, sadly.

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Nell

More women die of lung cancer than breast cancer. If you smoke, quit. If you don't, don't start.

Friends never lets friends drive drunk.

It was my understanding that there had not been a murder in Tomahawk in about 20 years. I meant specifically in the city (not that something outside the limits is any better).

So, are we on some kind of cycle then? It's sad that the murder rate in bigger cities is going to be lower than in Tomahawk.

Well, 2 of the 4 murders I mentioned were within the city limits. I can't be the only one who remembers these murders.

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Nell

More women die of lung cancer than breast cancer. If you smoke, quit. If you don't, don't start.

Friends never lets friends drive drunk.

Wouldn't they be in old newpapers? Or in some kind of records stored away?

The year must have been 1983 since several news reports mention that year as being the last time there was a murder in Tomahawk.

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Nell

More women die of lung cancer than breast cancer. If you smoke, quit. If you don't, don't start.

Friends never lets friends drive drunk.

I'm not actually located in Tomahawk anymore so I can't go check the archives. Actually, I haven't really "lived" in Tomahawk since we started the website...

Nell, after I posted I realized the time frame you were talking about was actually about 20 years ago. I knew there had been a "love triangle" situation in town but didn't know of any others. There also was the one in the Town of Bradley a few years ago.

Yes, that was one. I think I remember the surname but am not posting it. During the same time frame there was another murder involving a family with a long history of domestic violence. During that same year there was the murder of a couple (or possibly one person) around Irma. The man arrested was from Tomahawk, his parents were well known and respected business owners. I tried going through some old Milwaukee and Madison newspaper archives last night without results. I'll keep trying and meanwhile will dig up my diaries.

Kerry, does the Tomahawk paper have an index on microfilm? I could order that through the library.

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Nell

More women die of lung cancer than breast cancer. If you smoke, quit. If you don't, don't start.

Friends never lets friends drive drunk.

I know the Tomahawk Library has something (I don't know if they have an index). We have bound newspapers but I believe someone would have to go through them. I'd be interested in looking but I'm not sure when my next trip to Tomahawk will be at this point.

The library has the newspaper on microfilm. I can borrow these on inter-library loan through the MN History Center. I'm not sure there is an index however. But given the paper is a weekly publication and murder stories get the front page it shouldn't take long to find the stories. First I'm going to the MN History Center and look at the Madison newspaper microfilm as I believe they have it on site.

I locate missing people and do adoption searches so finding old stories is right up my alley. Plus I'm retired now.

_________________
Nell

More women die of lung cancer than breast cancer. If you smoke, quit. If you don't, don't start.

Friends never lets friends drive drunk.

Nell, welcome to the wonderfull world of the Gainfully unemployed (Retired) isn't it great !

I remember the the one on South Tomahawk Ave. (the love triangle) and the ones on CC a few years ago. The one in Irma escapes me though. The memory isn't what it used to be.

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God and the Soldier we all adore,
In times of trouble and then no more
when war is over and all things righted
God is forgotten, the old soldier Slighted.