In a shocking twist of fate, a Milford couple’s twisted love affair turned to larceny, as they kidnapped Willie Whitla in 1909. James P. Boyle, driven by desperation to pay blackmail, concocted the dastardly plan with the help of his accomplice, Harry Forker. But their scheme unravelled when Boyle’s wife, Mary (alias Mary Doe), implicated Whitla’s brother, I. Whitla, in a murder charge. According to Boyle’s testimony, Whitla offered him protection if he shielded Forker, the suspected murderer.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Violent Crime
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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