On a summer evening, June 26, 1957, 35-year-old Margaret Virginia Harold, a white female, was out for a drive with her boyfriend, an Army sergeant on leave, near Annapolis, Maryland. Their peaceful drive took a horrific turn when another vehicle abruptly forced them off the road near Routes 424 and 450. A man emerged from the other car, initially feigning the role of a property caretaker. He approached their vehicle and asked for a cigarette and money.
When his demands were refused, the situation escalated dramatically as he produced a. 38 caliber revolver and shot Margaret in the face at close range.
In the terrifying moments that followed, Margaret's boyfriend managed to escape the vehicle and fled on foot. He ran through nearby fields until he reached a farmhouse, where he was able to alert the authorities. When police arrived at the scene of the crime, they discovered the grim reality of what had transpired. Margaret Harold had not only been murdered but had also been sexually assaulted after her death. Her body was left exposed in the car, a detail that spoke to the disturbing nature of the attack. During their investigation of the surrounding area, police found an abandoned cinderblock building close by. Inside, they discovered a disturbing collection of pornographic pictures and female autopsy photos, though its full connection to the crime would not be understood for some time.
For nearly two years, the case of Margaret Harold's murder remained unsolved, leaving a lingering sense of fear and uncertainty. The break in the case came after a separate, brutal crime in Virginia in 1959, involving the abduction and murder of the Jackson family. Investigators were able to link the two cases, leading them to a suspect named Melvin Rees. Rees was eventually located in West Memphis, where he was working as a piano salesman. In a crucial step for the investigation, Margaret Harold's boyfriend was able to identify Melvin Rees in a police lineup. A search of Rees's home uncovered a. 38 pistol, and more chillingly, a note paper-clipped to a newspaper article about one of the Jackson family victims, in which Rees described his crimes in graphic detail.
Melvin Rees was tried for the murder of Margaret Harold in February 1961 and was subsequently convicted. He was also tried and convicted for the murders of the Jackson family in September of the same year. Rees was initially sentenced to death for his heinous crimes. However, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1972. Melvin Rees would spend the rest of his life behind bars, ultimately dying in prison from heart failure in 1995.
