Murder and Mayhem in Madison County

Some folks long for the “good ole days” with a sense of nostalgia, but not everything about the old days was good. Four crime stories, all sensational in their time, are the inspiration for Cheryl Eichar Jett’s articles in this issue of the MCHS News. The articles tell the story of Emil Fricker, the last man hung in Madison County, the Genetti murders in Collinsville in 1907, the story of the McKee brothers who committed suicide rather than face social disgrace, and a story from the legendary Mother Road. The murder of Martin Drenovac on Route 66 was part of a cross-country crime spree in 1961 that captured the attention of the entire country. There is also a story of the seven “legal” hangings in Madison County that took place between 1824 and 1926.