245: The Wineville Chicken Coop Murders

Episode 245: Between 1926 and 1928, a sinister darkness was afoot on a small chicken ranch in Wineville, California. When he was only 19, Gordon Stewart Northcott, a Canadian, had abducted, raped, tortured and murdered at least three and as many as 20 others. His victims were predominantly prepubescent boys. He sexually assaulted and released numerous others. When a portion of the truth came out, much of it was told by Northcott’s nephew, 13-year-old Sanford Clark. Northcott had brought Sanford with him from Canada two years before. 

Northcott viciously raped and beat Clark numerous times before tiring of him as he aged. Afterward, through fear and intimidation, Northcott coerced his nephew into assisting him in committing and covering up the murders of his victims. Even Northcott’s mother, Sarah Louise Northcott, helped in some of the crimes to keep her son out of jail. 

Sources:

The Road Out of Hell : Flacco, Anthony : Internet Archive

Nothing is Strange with You : Paul, James Jeffrey Internet Archive

Cold North Killers : Canadian Serial Murder : Mellor, Lee : Internet Archive

Beyond Evil by Robert Keller – Ebook | Scribd

Gordon Northcott | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

10 Notorious Serial Killers Who All Suffered Childhood Head Injuries

Healdsburg Tribune 20 September 1928 — California Digital Newspaper Collection

Gordon Stewart Northcott’s handwritten confession, Riverside, 1928 – UCLA Library Digital Collections

People v. Northcott, 209 Cal. 639 | Casetext Search + Citator

Gordon Stewart Northcott Archives – Deranged LA Crimes ®Deranged LA Crimes ®

Gordon Stewart Northcott (1906-1930) – Find a Grave Memorial

Clark, chief witness in `20s child murders led exemplary life – Whittier Daily News

The Puzzling Disappearance Of Walter Collins | BuzzFeed Unsolved Wiki | Fandom

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