Martin Stickles: The Kelso Killer
Early Life
Martin Stickles was born on February 7, 1870, in Adams County, Iowa. At 18 months old, his family relocated to Washington state. Described by his mother as a sickly child with unpredictable anger, Stickles exhibited unnatural behaviors from an early age. Little is known about his early life, but by adulthood, he lived reclusively on a scow, navigating the Columbia, Cowlitz, and Coweeman Rivers, and earning a living as a fisherman.
Crimes
Between 1899 and 1900, Stickles committed a series of murders in Cowlitz County, Washington. His modus operandi involved shooting his victims through their windows while they dined, followed by robbery and, in one instance, arson to conceal his crime.
Victims
- William B. Shanklin
- Date: November 22, 1899
- Location: Kelso, Washington
- Details: Shanklin, a bachelor farmer and former neighbor of Stickles, was shot through his cabin window while eating supper. Stickles then entered the home, stole valuables, and set the cabin ablaze to cover his tracks. Despite investigations and a $300 reward offered by Governor John Rankin Rogers, the case remained unsolved at the time.
- Cornelius and Massey Knapp
- Date: November 28, 1900
- Location: Castle Rock, Washington
- Details: The elderly Knapp couple was shot through their window while having supper. Stickles robbed their home but did not set it on fire. Evidence left at the scene eventually led to his capture.
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