A Killer's Quest for Resurrection: The Strange Case of McMonigle
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Chapter 1: The Unusual Request
In the realm of true crime, reality often surpasses fiction, leading one to ponder the unpredictable nature of human behavior. Thomas McMonigle's case exemplifies this notion, as experts have long sought to understand his motivations for murder, including the killing of a teenage girl whose remains were never discovered. Beyond his heinous acts, what baffled many was his peculiar correspondence with a scientist, requesting to be revived posthumously.
During these exchanges, Dr. Robert Cornish, the scientist in question, revealed that McMonigle expressed a desire to serve as a subject in a resurrection experiment. He proposed that if the procedure were successful, it could pave the way for the revival of innocent individuals who had been wrongfully executed. Nonetheless, authorities suspected a more self-serving motive; he aimed to claim that he had fulfilled his sentence and should therefore be liberated.
However, such liberation would have allowed him the freedom to kill once more.
Section 1.1: A Troubled History
McMonigle had a notorious background, well-known to law enforcement by the time he was tried for his crimes. In 1934, he was convicted for an attempted rape in Illinois, receiving a nine-year prison term. Upon his release in 1943, his freedom was short-lived. After relocating to California, he faced potential incarceration again for assaulting a teenage girl, but the victim's family opted not to pursue charges, leading to his release.
After regaining his freedom, McMonigle secured employment as a bus driver. One fateful day, he picked up Dorothy Jones, an African American woman, who vanished without a trace. While on death row, he inadvertently confessed to her murder.
Subsection 1.1.1: The Search for Thora Chamberlain
The body McMonigle attempted to lead investigators to belonged to Thora Chamberlain. On November 2, 1945, she was en route to a football game with friends when McMonigle, disguised as a sailor, lured her away. He claimed he needed help watching his sister's children, and Thora agreed, promising her friends she would return shortly.
When she failed to show up at the game, her friends alerted her parents, who promptly contacted the police. A search began, initially suspecting a kidnapping for ransom, but no demands ever surfaced.
The Chief of Police in San Mateo recognized the suspect’s description and suggested McMonigle, providing a mugshot. Chamberlain’s friends confirmed he was the man who had solicited Thora's assistance. Unfortunately, like his victim, McMonigle had vanished.
Section 1.2: The Manhunt
After abducting Chamberlain, McMonigle fled, abandoning his wife and newborn child. When questioned, she claimed ignorance of his whereabouts, which investigators believed. He was traced to Burlingame, California, where he worked briefly before sensing the police were closing in. He hitchhiked back to Illinois, prompting the FBI to join the search.
From Illinois, McMonigle moved to Missouri and eventually returned to California, where he was apprehended in San Francisco. During questioning, he admitted to picking up Chamberlain and recounted a harrowing tale of an accidental shooting that led to her death. He claimed to have disposed of her body at Half Moon Bay, tossing it off a cliff known as Devil’s Slide.
Searchers later discovered a pair of bobby socks belonging to Chamberlain, confirming her fate despite the lack of direct physical evidence.
Chapter 2: The Trial and Its Aftermath
Despite the circumstantial nature of the case, prosecutors opted to move forward with a trial. McMonigle took the stand in his defense, offering conflicting accounts of the events surrounding Thora's disappearance.
Ultimately, it took the jury a mere thirty minutes to convict him on February 19, 1946, sentencing him to death by gas chamber. While imprisoned, he learned about Dr. Robert Cornish's experiments involving the revival of deceased animals and implored the scientist to attempt the same with him post-mortem. Cornish wrote to the governor, arguing that successful resurrection could potentially save countless innocent lives.
However, the governor rejected the request.
Over the years, many have claimed to have died and returned, suggesting that their sentences should be considered served. Despite the cleverness of this argument, no court has ever accepted it as a valid legal rationale for releasing a prisoner. Many suspect that McMonigle's resurrection plea was merely a desperate ploy to evade justice and perhaps kill again.