Birds of a Feather

Chapter Six

THE SEATTLE TIMES
Tuesday, October 12th, 1954
I-90 BRIDGE HEIRESS MURDERED
By Oliver Stewart

In the early morning hours of October 11th, a Madison Park resident walking his dog discovered the body of 19-year-old Amanda Murray on the former Madison Ferry dock. Murray was the daughter of prominent architect, engineer, and developer Howard Murray. Mr. Murray was part of the team that designed and built the bridge over Mercer Island that now connects Seattle with the East side cities. He is also currently working on one of Seattle's largest feats, a floating bridge across Lake Washington where Seattle residents could drive straight into Kirkland.

Miss Amanda Murray's body was found with a single gunshot wound to the head. It is unknown why or how she got to the Madison Ferry dock. The girl could not drive and was known to frequently catch rides home with acquaintances and friends. Could this explain the girl's murder, perhaps?

In a press conference earlier this morning, lead investigator, Detective Errol Lorraine of the Seattle Police Department confirmed that they are considering all possible scenarios. "Currently, we do not know the circumstances of the homicide and are not ruling out any possibilities, including robbery, kidnapping, and accidental shooting."

When asked if it was a possible suicide, Detective Lorraine said, "At this time, we believe another party was involved. While not ruled out, we believe suicide is unlikely in this scenario." He did not clarify what about the scene led the team investigating to this conclusion.

Seattle Police Department has not officially released the name of any suspects or persons of interest. However, suspicion has fallen upon Miss Murray's reported fiancée, Mr. Dawson Perry of Brooklyn, New York. Mr. Perry works with the construction company under contract for the building of the 520 floating bridge.

One of the youngest executives on the team, he and Miss Murray began a romance not fully supported by her family. Rumors swirl that the two were engaged and planning to elope within a matter of days. Would Mr. Perry have the motive to kill this young heiress to whom he was likely engaged?

It is no secret that Miss Murray's wealth was much larger than Mr. Perry's. Her parents believe that this may have been a motive in the tragic murder of their daughter. "It's impossible not to know Mandy if you've done business with me," her father, Mr. Howard Murray says. "They probably thought she had money or jewelry on her."

Despite Mr. Murray's suspicions, there was nothing obviously taken from the scene. Investigators continue to account for all of Miss Murray's possessions at the time of her murder, which were not all known.

Miss Murray became an heiress after her father's success with the I-90 bridge and various public buildings around the city. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1953 and was undergoing secretarial training. Her family says that Miss Murray planned to work for her father's firm. She was known to be lively, talkative, and intelligent. She often attended events with her father and was well known to many of her father's associates and investors.

The young heiress was on her way to becoming one of the most popular and prominent socialistic in Seattle. Her rebellious and charismatic nature brought up many comparisons to Alice Roosevelt among those who knew her. Unlike many other ladies of her stature, Miss Murray dressed and lived rather modestly. She continued to attend public school following her father's success, preferred to patron local seamstresses instead of go to department stores, and contributed to the war effort when she was still a child.

Miss Amanda Murray will undoubtedly be missed by her family and those who knew her. A private funeral will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Saturday with a larger memorial planned for later that day.