The Murder of Helen Clevenger

1936 was not so kind to a young 19-year-old NYU student Helen Clevenger. She had traveled to the mountains with her uncle, William Clevenger. He was a 54-year-old bachelor who taught agriculture and food science at NC State. This road trip with her uncle was her first foray into adulthood for the honor student.

At around 10:30 pm on the night of July 15th, Helen retired to her room, room 224, after having dinner with her uncle and some friends. There was a severe storm that night, so it was no surprise that the gunshot that took the young woman’s life was written off like a thunderclap. The following morning, at around 7:30 am, William walked down the hall and knocked on his niece’s door. When there was no answer, he tested the door and it opened easily. He walked inside to find her crumpled on the floor in her green striped pajamas. Her clothes were stained with blood and she had been badly beaten.

The cops were quickly called and an investigation was soon underway. The mystery of who murdered this young woman gripped the nation. Even the state of New York flew in detectives to help in the investigation. Who could have possibly killed this innocent young woman? And why? The need for an answer could have led to an innocent man being charged and executed for the crime.