On a tragic spring afternoon in 1940, the life of Ruth Elizabeth Sturgeon, a 45-year-old female art teacher, was cut short in a shocking act of violence that reverberated through the community of South Pasadena, California. On May 6th, Verlin Spencer, the 37-year-old principal of South Pasadena Junior High School, embarked on a shooting rampage that would leave five people dead and forever mark the town's history.
Spencer's deadly path began at the school district's headquarters, where he was scheduled for a meeting regarding his recent dismissal. Armed with a. 22 caliber pistol, he entered the building and fatally shot three district officials: Superintendent George Bush, South Pasadena High School Principal John E. Alman, and the district's business manager, William R. Speer. A school board secretary was also wounded in the initial attack.
Following the bloodshed at the district office, Spencer made his way to South Pasadena Junior High School. There, he sought out individuals with whom he had professional disagreements. He first encountered and killed 35-year-old mechanical arts teacher Verner V. Vanderlip. He then proceeded to the art room where he found Ruth Sturgeon and fatally shot her. The school was thrown into a state of panic and confusion as the tragic events unfolded.
After the shootings, Spencer was soon cornered by police in the school cafeteria. Before he could be apprehended, he turned the gun on himself in an apparent suicide attempt, but survived the self-inflicted wound. He was then taken into custody.
Verlin Spencer was charged with five counts of first-degree murder. In the ensuing legal proceedings, he initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. However, he later changed his plea to guilty. On July 29, 1940, Spencer was sentenced to five consecutive life terms in prison for his crimes. He was paroled in 1970 and lived the remainder of his life in Hawaii, where he died in 1991. The motive for the devastating attack was attributed to his anger and resentment over his recent dismissal from his position as principal.
