When you do radio news, you only have to have the story right for as little as fifteen minutes -- until the next deadline. A mistake in spelling, attribution, or even an inaccurate accusation of guilt can always be quickly corrected.
Take if from a man who knows. Me.
But when you’re publishing a weekly newspaper, you can’t erase errors for seven long days. It might be a mistake in an ad for canned ham or perhaps something more serious, like the name of a criminal suspect or an allegation against a crooked cop or politician.
Again, take if from one who knows.
Whatever. Especially back in the 1950s, the print media, whether it was a daily or a weekly newspaper, ruled. What they wrote about you and your neighbors read mattered.
That’s why the night before going to press was a nightmare for weekly newspaper editors.
And that’s why Amelia Jo Zelko, known to the few friends she had as “Molly,” worked until 11:30 p.m., the night of September 25, 1957, at the Joliet Spectator, thirty-five miles southwest of Chicago, Illinois.
The Spector was more than just a weekly rag devoted to school lunch menus and grocery store ads. Sure, they ran a classified section. What paper didn’t back before Craig’s List killed the golden goose?
But the Spectator also took aim and hit hard at the mobsters running the city’s gambling rackets. And guess what? Those thugs hit back even harder.
The paper’s publisher would die a year after this night because he was beaten so badly by two men nine years before, and his office ransacked. No charges were ever filed in the case. But the publisher and Molly wrote long and loud that the attack was retaliation for their anti-gambling crusade.
So Molly, the Spectator’s secretary/treasurer, business manager and co-owner, had to shoulder the burden of getting the paper off the presses and out the door. Molly wasn’t about to be intimidated by anyone, and her typewriter was smoking hot when it came to crucifying the crooks and the political buddies she felt were causing Joliet.
Finally, thirty minutes before the newspaper’s clocks struck midnight, Molly felt the paper was ready to be put to bed.
She bid a cheery “So long, everybody. I’ll see you tomorrow” to her fellow employees. Then, she set off for home carrying an envelope-style purse and wearing, among other things, a small hat on the back of her head and a $5,000 bracelet.
Yes, Molly liked to dress well.
On her way home, a three-minute drive from the Spectator, Molly stopped for drinks at a local bar and made two long-distance phone calls.
She left the tavern, slid behind the driver’s wheel, adjusted her hat, and finished the drive home.
Amelia Jo “Molly” Zelko was never seen again.
The following day, after she failed to show up for work, police found Molly’s car parked in front of her house on Buell Avenue. Her car keys were under the front seat, where Molly always put them.
Police also found her shoes. One on the ground, the other on the car’s trunk.
This was interesting because Molly always said that if she were attacked, like her friend and co-owner, she’d kick off her shoes and run away barefoot.
Is that what happened?
Maybe.
Neighbors said they heard a woman screaming around midnight but thought it was just some teenagers fooling around.
Joliet cops followed hundreds of tips, all anonymous, of course. They used radar, x-ray machines, and even psychics to try to solve this case and bring Molly home.
They got nothing but nothing.
The following year, 1958, a local small-time criminal by the name of James Rini confessed to Molly’s murder and said he was ready to lead police to her remains.
Rini’s story was so convincing that Sen. Robert Kennedy, who was making a name for himself fighting Jimmy Hoffa and the Mafia, grabbed a shovel and pitchfork to help dig up what might be left of Molly.
They found nothing. Finally, Rini confessed that his confession was BS.
It’s said that a woman, while under hypnosis, claimed to see four men in a black car bury a woman’s body near the bottom of an open storm sewer ditch near Zelko’s home the day she disappeared.
That was never confirmed, but if she did say that, it was another lead that didn’t pan out.
But then again, how hard did the cops work on this case if some were in the mob’s pocket?
That is also this open question. According to the podcast “The Spectator: Who Killed Molly Zelko,” some police officers said, “I wouldn’t spend five minutes looking for that bitch.”
Finally, seven years later, in 1964, a judge declared Molly legally dead.
The Spectator folded in 1965 and could never write the final chapter of Amelia Jo “Molly” Zelko’s life and, assumed, death.
It’s a heck of a story and could be my next Shocking True Crimes book. I’ll work on it and let you know.
Meanwhile, back at the Lyons Circle Publishing ranch, I spent the past couple of months working on “The Murder of Marguerite: A Serial Killer Thriller.”
Marguerite's murder in a quiet Texas town was just the beginning. When the trail leads to the Oakwood Retirement Center in Detroit, young detective Robin Gallagher is thrust into the most challenging case of her career. Eager to prove herself in a male-dominated homicide department, Robin is determined to unravel the mystery behind the suspicious deaths plaguing Oakwood's elderly residents.
Robin's investigation reveals a disturbing pattern: two nurse's aides, who appear dedicated to their patients, are orchestrating a series of brutal killings. Among them is Susan, a captivating and enigmatic woman who quickly becomes one of Robin's prime suspects. As the bodies pile up, so do Robin's feelings for Susan, creating a tumultuous conflict between her duty and her heart.
Caught between her burgeoning affection for Susan and her unwavering commitment to justice, Robin must navigate a treacherous path. Her infatuation threatens to cloud her judgment, endangering both her career and the lives of the residents at Oakwood. With time running out and the stakes higher than ever, Robin must decide whether to trust her instincts or follow her heart.
"The Murder of Marguerite" is a gripping serial killer thriller that delves into the complexities of love, loyalty, and the relentless pursuit of justice. . Will Robin be able to stop the murders, or will her feelings for Susan lead her astray? Dive into this electrifying novel to find out.
That’s it for today! As always, thanks for reading.
Rod
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