In the early morning hours of June 11, 1920, Joseph Bowne Elwell, a 47-year-old man, was found murdered in his locked brownstone in New York City. His housekeeper discovered him slumped in a chair in his drawing-room, dressed in his pajamas, with a single gunshot wound to his forehead. Elwell was a well-known figure in high society, a renowned bridge player, tutor, and author on the subject.
He had amassed considerable wealth through his winnings and affluent students, allowing him to own racehorses, cars, and a yacht.
The circumstances of his death presented a perplexing puzzle for investigators. The house was locked from the inside, with no signs of forced entry, and the murder weapon, a. 45 caliber revolver, was missing from the scene. Robbery did not appear to be a motive, as nothing of value was taken. The investigation delved into Elwell's complex personal life, which was marked by numerous affairs with women, many of whom were married. This line of inquiry led police to consider jealous husbands or scorned lovers as potential suspects. His estranged wife, Helen Derby, with whom he was negotiating a divorce, was also scrutinized by the authorities.
Despite a sprawling investigation that generated over 1,000 leads, the police were unable to make any arrests. The case became a media sensation, with newspapers like The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune covering it extensively. A year after the murder, in 1921, a man confessed to the crime, but his confession was quickly determined to be false, the ramblings of a mentally disturbed individual. The murder of Joseph Bowne Elwell, a classic 'locked-room mystery,' has remained unsolved for over a century, capturing the public's imagination and even serving as the inspiration for detective novels. To this day, the identity of the person who shot Joseph Bowne Elwell remains a mystery.
