Florence Burns and the Murder of Walter Brooks
Morbid
02/05/24
•85m
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When twenty-year-old Walter Brooks was found dead from a bullet to the head on Valentine’s Day 1902, suspicion immediately fell on Brooks’ nineteen-year-old sometimes-girlfriend, Florence Burns. The two were known to have a tumultuous relationship and had fought violently on the morning of his death, and there was considerable evidence indicating that Burns had been in the hotel room at the time of Brooks’ murder. However, despite all the evidence indicating guilt, Florence Burns was never brought to trial for Brooks’ murder or even formally charged with a crime, and Walter Brooks murder officially remains an unsolved case in New York.
While the story of Walter Brooks and Florence Burns is relatively uncomplicated in terms of the crime around which the story is built, the story is a remarkable illustration of the ways in which things like class, gender, and technological advances can influence and even shape how the law is applied in the United States. Indeed, at the time of the murder, the nation was undergoing incredibly social and cultural changes as a result of dramatically expanded transportation and communication technology, giving rise to a youth culture the likes of which had never been seen in the nation prior. That youth culture and the rebelliousness it produced in many young wealthy Americans played a direct role, not only in Walter’s life and death, but also in the socio-cultural perspectives and Victorian beliefs that allowed Florence to get away with murder.
Thank you to the wondrous Dave White of Bring me the Axe Podcast & 99 Cent Rental for Research!
References
Evening World. 1902. "Denised she shot broker in hotel." Evening World, February 15: 1.
Ferranti, Seth. 2019. The Affluenza Murder Case That Shocked America 100 Years Ago. March 15. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://www.vice.com/en/article/d3meyv/the-affluenza-murder-case-that-shocked-america-100-years-ago.
McConnell, Virginia A. 2019. The Belle of Bedford Avenue: The Sensational Brooks-Burns Murder in Turn-of-the-Century New York. Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press.
New York Times. 1902. "Brooks murder case ends." New York Times, May 21: 5.
—. 1903. "Florence Burns on the stage." New York Times, February 15: 10.
—. 1902. "Jerome on Burns case." New York Times, March 25: 7.
—. 1902. "Man shot, girl arrested ." New York Times, February 16: 3.
New York Tribune. 1910. "Florence Burns again in hands of police." New York Tribune, September 21: 1.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Previous Episode
Holly Madison joins us to give us a sneak peak at one of the cases they are covering on Season Two of the Playboy Murders. We talk about the tragic murder of Christine Schultz and the trial, conviction, and escape of Laurie Bembenek. It's a tragic story that is light on justice for anyone!
She also chats with us about the second season overall of the Playboy Murders which premiers on January 22nd! You can find it on Investigation ID and stream it on MAX!
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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Next Episode
The Murder of Gary Triano
February 8, 2024
•59m
On the evening of November 1, 1996, Tucson, Arizona real estate developer and businessman Gary Triano got into his car at the La Paloma Country Club intending to head home, where friends and family were waiting for Gary’s surprise birthday party. However, before Gary had even put the key in the ignition, the car exploded in a ball of flame, plunging the club into panic and chaos, and killing Gary instantly.
To investigators, the car bomb planted under Gary’s car had all the hallmarks of a professional hit, and with Gary’s business dealings and financial troubles, there were at least a few people who would have benefitted from his death. However, within just a few weeks, suspicion fell to Triano’s ex-wife, Pamela, who’d taken out a life insurance policy on Gary during their marriage that would eventually pay out $2 million dollars.
Despite being confident that Pamela was involved in Gary’s death, the year-long investigation failed to turn up any conclusive evidence tying her to the murder. Undeterred, investigators continued to pursue the case across the country and eventually around the world and in 2009, more than a decade after his death, the people responsible for Gary Triano’s death were finally arrested, but many years would pass before anyone was held accountable.
Thank you to David White, of the Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!
References
Bodfield, Rhonda. 1996. "Broke Triano kept optimistic ." Tucson Citizen, November 9: 1.
—. 1996. "Triano threats srcutinized." Tucson Citizen, November 5: 2.
CBS News. 2017. "The Hit in Arizona [transcript]." CBS News, July 11.
Huicochea, Alexis, and Enric Volante. 2006. "'96 bomb slaying is getting a new look." Arizona Daily Star, September 7.
Innes, Stephanie. 1996. "Gambling link eyed in Triano murder." Tucson Citizen, November 4: 1.
Limberis, Chris. 2001. "Requiem for a heavyweight ." Tucson Weekly, November 1.
McNamara, Patrick. 2014. "Conflictring pictures painted of Triano murder suspect." Arizona Daily Star, February 20: A2.
—. 2014. "Ex-wife going on trial 17 years after bomb death." Arizona Daily Star, February 16: C1.
—. 2014. "Phillips gets life for fatal bombing." Arizona Daily Star, May 23: 1.
Miami Herald. 2005. "A TV 'Most Wanted' fugitive is captured." Miami Herald, November 22: 138.
Pence, Angela, John Rawlinson, and Alexa Haussler. 1996. "Black powder pipe bomb killed Triano." Arizona Daily Star, November 7.
Sate of Arizona v. Pamela Anne Phillips. 2018. 1 CA-CR 17-0285 (Arizona Court of Appeals, July 10).
Smith, Kim. 2011. "Additional mental exams for murder suspect denied." Arizona Daily Star, March 8: A2.
—. 2010. "Life, no parole for killer in Triano case." Arizona Daily Star, May 4: A2.
—. 2010. "Triano case closing arguments." Arizona Daily Star, March 27: A2.
State of Arizona v. Ronald Kelly Young. 2012. CR20084012 (Court of Appeals State of Arizona , February 29).
Teibel, David. 1996. "Blast fragments studied ." Tucson Citizen, November 1: 1.
Tucson Citizen. 1973. "Realtor seeks seat on council." Tucson Citizen, June 15: 4.
Volante, Enric. 2006. "Detective: Secret recordings link Triano ex, suspected death plot." Arizona Daily Star, September 8.
—. 1997. "Triano assassination task force disbanded." Arizona Daily Star, August 2.
Wagner, Dennis. 1996. "Bombing death puzzles police." Arizona Republic, November 10: 33.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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