Frank Carter

Serial Killer

Frank Carter – The Omaha Sniper

Overview

Frank Carter, an Irish immigrant whose birth name was Patrick Murphy, became one of the most feared criminals in Omaha, Nebraska, during a brief but intense shooting spree in February 1926. Newspapers called him the "Omaha Sniper" or "phantom sniper" as residents struggled to understand who was firing at people and into buildings seemingly without warning. Carter was ultimately connected to two confirmed murders and several nonfatal shootings. After his capture, he made sensational claims that he had killed dozens of people, but investigators never found evidence supporting most of those additional confessions. Carter's two confirmed murder victims were mechanic William McDevitt and physician Dr. Austin D. Searles. Both were killed in Omaha within a period of only a few days. Carter also admitted responsibility for other shootings during the same period, including the serious wounding of railroad detective Ross Johnson in Council Bluffs, Iowa. His attacks created such widespread fear that people avoided the streets, businesses suffered, entertainment establishments emptied, and residents were encouraged to keep their homes dark at night.

Early Life and Criminal Background

Carter was born Patrick Murphy in County Mayo, Ireland, although historical accounts disagree about his exact birth year and age. After immigrating to the United States, he lived and worked in the Midwest and spent time as a farm laborer. Years before the Omaha murders, he had already demonstrated a capacity for vindictive and destructive behavior. In 1916, Carter was sentenced to prison in Iowa for maliciously killing dairy cattle belonging to farmer Otto Schoeneman, a former employer. The destruction of the animals was reportedly an act of revenge stemming from an earlier dispute. Carter was sentenced to a lengthy prison term and was eventually released. His history with the Schoeneman family continued to create fear after his imprisonment because he had reportedly made threats against them. In 1925, Verne Schoeneman, Otto's son, believed Carter might be coming after him. When a man entered the Schoeneman residence at night, Verne fired at the intruder. The person was not Carter but a newly employed farmhand, Charles Van Meeteren, who was killed. Carter did not kill Van Meeteren and should not be counted among Carter's victims, but the incident illustrates the degree of fear created by Carter's earlier threats. ...

Confirmed Victims: (2)

William McDevitt , Date of Death: 1926

Frank “Sniper” Carter (1881-1927) - Mémorial Find a Grave