Evidence Division-Crime Scene
Leroy Stiritz Homicide, 1955

04/25/1955, 8:30 pm. Harvey Powell, Manager of Alton News Agency, contacts the Alton Police to report a Newspaper Carrier, Leroy (Whimpy) Stiritz, is missing. Stiritz 32 yrs old, A Carrier for the News Agency, Located at 16 East Broadway,  was reported to have gone on a short visit to Kansas city , Missouri on 04/18/55 and was to return 04/21/55,Now 4 days late Powell suspects foul play.

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Left: The Alton News Agency, 16 East Broadway, 1955. Right: Same building today.

Powell reports that on 4/18/55 after working all night Stiritz was to have finished up at the office taking skip calls until 8:50 am.(skip calls are telephone calls to the agency from persons who had not received their newspaper)Stiritz was to board the Brown Motor Bus From Lincoln Douglas Square just across the street to visit a friend in Missouri.  Later it was determined that Stiritz had never arrived.  Stiritz had apparently worked overtime and saved his money for the trip, and was said to have about $ 300.00 Dollars in his pocket.  Stiritz had taken his suitcase to work with him planing on leaving right after work.

Powell reported that he had gone to the office around 10:00 am on the 18th, and noticed that Stiritz desk had a broken soda bottle under it, and a pair of glasses on the floor, prior to Powells arrival that day another employee had noted that the adding machine on Stiritz desk was just barely on the edge of the desk.  This employee put it in the middle of the desk and had not noticed the glasses on the floor.

Police investigation reveals that Stiritz was never observed boarding the bus, this from the Bus Driver who was familiar with Stiritz as was most of the downtown late night workers, Stiritz had worked for Powell in the newspaper business since he was 7 years old. Receiving the papers at 1am. Rolling the papers till 3am., Delivering the Broadway  route finishing at 6am., then returning at 8 am to take the skip calls, and sometimes selling the papers at 3rd and Belle St

There are several co workers who would normally come into contact with Stiritz throughout the night and all are interviewed, as to when they last saw Stiritz.  Police check Stiritz sleeping room at 200 State st. and everything appears in order. Police are unable to locate anyone who saw Stiritz after 4/18/55.

04/26/55 6:25 pm.  MAN FOUND DEAD (out of city) East of East Newburn, Illinois.  State Police Officer Schultz and Coroner Jacoby of Jersey County Illinois report that a body of a man 63 inches long has been found and has identification of Leroy Stiritz and also of a Harvey Powell of Alton, Illinois on his person, a canvas bag with the identification of Clyde Jenkins in it was with the body. (Positive identification of the body as Leroy Stiritz is made)

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Left: Alton Detective Robert Brown looks down towards creek bed where Sheriff Herman Kirsehner points to the location where Stiritz' body was located (Photo Right).

Police interview everyone around town known to have contact with Stiritz and are unable to locate anyone who recalls seeing him after 8am on 4/18/55. The identification found with the canvas bag, Clyde Jenkins is located and he had lost his wallet several weeks prior while in Alton, Illinois, Jenkins did not recall ever having contact with Stiritz, (Jenkins was able to add credibility to this missing wallet story by producing the newspaper clip he placed in the Alton evening Telegraph wanting his wallet returned) and along with Harvey Powell would later pass a polygraph test, which combined with their alibis would eliminate them from suspicion.  Everyone seemed to be able to account for themselves, as far as co workers went, and even reinforced their innocence by taking and passing a polygraph test.  That is everyone except Andrew Acker, who somehow forgot to show up on polygraph day.

Failing to show up for a polygraph test, don't make you a murderer, at least not by its self.

05/02/1955 3:10 pm.

Assistant states attorney M. M. Durr came to the police station and Harvey Powell, Warren T Paddock, James Tribble, Andrew C. Acker And Clarence Gwilliam, All connected to the Alton News Agency were summoned to the Police Station.  All were standing in Lt. Roberts Office Mr. Durr asked each one of the above individually if they would voluntarily take a lie detector test.  Each one readily answered in the affirmative and arrangements were made with The Illinois Bureau of Identification and Criminal Investigation for the forenoon of 05/04/1955 at the Alton Police Department to conduct the polygraph test.

05/04/55 10:15 am (polygraph Test Day)

With the exception of Andrew Acker, Polygraphs are administered to the co workers, all of which would later return as showing no signs of Deception, as for Acker he never showed up.  At 11:00 pm. Shirley Acker wife of Andrew Acker, resident of 104 Dooley Dr. Alton, Illinois comes to the Police department to report her husband missing. 

Excerpt from original Alton Police Report

That he (Acker) did not report for work at Radionics-Alton, Inc. 1320 East Broadway becomes an important fact some 28 YEARS LATER, 1983 (The fact that he worked there more than the fact that he did not show up for work that day)

Andrew Acker Reported for work on his paper route at 4:30 am. On 05/04/55 Harvey Powell last saw Acker at 8:00 am. When Acker advised that he had a bill to pay, and Powell gave him 21.00 Dollars,  his pay for the week which should have been paid Saturday. 

05/05/55 4:30 am. Andrew Acker Fails to show up for work at the Alton News Agency. Police Learn that Acker Does not report for work at Radionics-Alton, Inc. Where he was to start at 8:30am either. Acker had been employed as a paper carrier and then for about a month he held both jobs as carrier and at radionics. The Investigation picks up steam, as interviews are conducted and the following facts began to surface.
05/09/1955 11:20 am Geneva Moore, Secretary I. B. Curran Homes, Madison County Housing Authority. (Dooley Drive)
was contacted as to the account of Andrew Acker, resident of 104 Dooley Dr. Acker resided at 104 since Sept. 27,1954, His contract revealed that all rent was to be paid on the 1st of every month with a dollar penalty after the 5th of every month, there were several months when acker paid the rent with the dollar penalty for being late.
The records reveal that the last payment for the month of April 1955 was paid on Monday APRIL 18TH 1955.  (RED FLAG)   The amount paid was $52.69 and was broken down as follows   Rent 48.00 Dollars  Penalty $1.00 and $3.69 Electric. Any usage of gas is included in the rental fee. Paid 11:30 am.04/18/1955.   Mrs Moore recalled quite well and was quoted with Acker telling her "Geneva, You just don't know how much I appreciate this"

Interviews reveal that the following transactions were made by Acker On these Dates     

04/18/1955  Mrs Frank (Lucille) Zapf  part time Teller, Alton Banking and Trust Co. Received a $50.00 Deposit on Akers,  Thrift Checking Account.  A $16.04 Payment on Account #55797, and a $15.47 payment on Account #53315. TOTAL $81.51

04/19/1955 Paid $5.00 to St. Anthonys Hospital toward a $85.65 BILL

04/19/1955 Paid $5.00 to Hofert Bros. Motors on an account which they had repeatedly contacted Acker for payment

04/18/1955 Paid $25.00 to Ebbler Electric Company, Inc. 2606 State St. Transaction posted in ledger 25.

  05/05/1955   11:35am.
Malcolm D. Durr, Ass,t. States Attorney, Madison County Illinois, appeared before Thomas Parker, Justice of Peace and signed a State Complaint charging Andrew Corby Acker with Murder.

05/05/1955 3:00 pm
Charles Sheppard, Special Agent,  Springfield Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation
files a Fugitive Warrant Charging Andrew C. Acker with 'Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution"
Murder"

Actual nationwide bulletin sent from the Alton Police Department

There are no signs of Andrew Acker, Police watch his wife and friends but no one has contact with Acker and interviews continue.
  05/07/1955 Police interview Tom Waters the owner of Tom Waters Auto Service, Elm St. At Dooley Dr. He advised that Andrew Acker lives in Dooley Dr to the rear of the service station and had permission to park his car at the rear of the service station. Waters reported that he recalled that about 2 weeks ago he don't recall the date at about 6:00 pm he saw Acker washing the car and had the trunk open.

05/14/1955 Sat. 11:15am.
Chief of Service, Stix Baer & Fuller, St. Louis, Missouri has notified the Auto Theft Squad, St Louis Police, Det Richard Jerabek of a vehicle which has been parked in the stores parking garage for the past 10 days. A Check of the license reveals the vehicle to belong to Andrew Acker Wanted for Murder, and the Alton Police are notified.   

05/15/1955 9:00 am.

Officer Skelton, checks the area of the rear of Waters Auto , and the area around the G. M O. Railroad right of way about 100 Yards East of the rear of Ackers  residence, in Dooley Dr. with the purpose of looking for the interior trunk liner of Ackers Vehicle. Officer Skelton finds a   carpet trunk liner molded in the shape of trunk bottom, and transports it to Police Headquarters.

1955. Officer Skelton locates trunk liner of Acker's vehicle behind 104 Dooley Drive

A comparison is made with the found trunk liner and the inside of Acker's car trunk. The molded sections fit into place and Acker's car is missing the pieces that were recovered. Officers located several hairs both on the found pieces and the inside of Acker's trunk, along with what appeared to be blood smears on the inside of the trunk lid. (These items were sent to the F.B.I. lab for examination)

The trunk lid (left) of Acker's Vehicle remains in Police Evidence still today.

At this point the Investigation stalls, in that Acker, who has abandon his car and left with just the cloths on his back is able to remain hidden for 6 years. A vacationing Alton resident in Florida pulls into a service station and recognizes an employee as being Andrew Acker, and notifies Authorities who take him into custody.

Acker is transported to Jersey County, Illinois the location where the body of Leroy Stiritz was found, to stand trial.

The Police had over 75 witnesses prepared to testify; however on the 4 th day of the trial the judge dismisses the charges on the grounds that it could not be determined that the murder had happened in Jersey County Venue.

The Stiritz Case became a landmark case, in the changing to the now current law-covering jurisdiction, which allows for the prosecution of an offender in any venue where any part of an offense has occurred.

01/03/1983 28 Years Later….

An employee of National Auto Supply, 1320 E Broadway, turns in a wallet that was found on top of a basement beam during some remodeling of the building. The Identification inside the wallet revealed the owner to be Leroy Stiritz, who had never worked at the building, unlike his Murderer Andrew Corby Acker, who was employed at Radionics, Inc. 1320 E Broadway, During the month of April 1955.