Volume 17 , Issue 42

1956 Suspicious Death of Mildred Anne Reynolds

The Iola Register, out of Iola, Kansas, dated 15 March 1956, Thursday, had the following front page headlines: "Still Are Unsure of Crime In Oklahoma Coed's Death," courtesy of (AP) Alva, Oklahoma.

Found on Newspapers.com

Alva, Okla. (AP) - A preliminary autopsy report on the charred body of a 22 year old Northwestern State College coed cast a heavier veil of mystery today (15 March1956) over the possible cause of her death.

The report of Dr. A. Mx Shideler, pathologist at the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, tended to minimize the theory of investigating officers that pretty Mrs. Mildred Anne Reynolds was the victim of a murderous assault.

Her body was found in her blazing automobile on a lonely road in Woods county about four miles from her home at Avard. Her husband, D. R. Reynolds, principal and coach at the Avard High School, identified the body from jewelry and wearing apparel.

Shideler said his examination disclosed a fractured skull and a large quantity of carbon monoxide content in her blood. However, he said the fractured skull could have been caused from the intense heat and not necessarily form a blow on the head.

He said the high carbon monoxide content indicated the woman died in the flames and was not slain before the car was set afire.

Although a score of state and county officers have been unable to establish clues to firm up their theory of murder, Woods County Sheriff Ed Doctor said he was "confident the saying will be solved."

The officers believe that the girl's car was forced off the road because tracks of two cars were visible when the investigation was launched Tuesday afternoon. They said the tracks also indicated her car had been pushed back onto the road some 150 feet from where a tree was snapped. A woman's shoe also was found in the brush away from the road.

Doctor said, "There's no doubt but that she was killed." He said two suspects were questioned late yesterday and last night. One of them, a hitchhiker seen in the area at about the time of the death, was released. The other was held overnight but was to be released today (15 March 1956).
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