Athalia Ponsell Lindsley
Athalia Ponsell Lindsley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Athalia Ponsell July 25, 1917 Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | January 23, 1974 (aged 56) St. Augustine, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Murder |
| Resting place | Oaklawn Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Unsolved murder |
| Spouse |
James "Jinx" Lindsley
(m. 1973–1974) |
Athalia Ponsell Lindsley (July 25, 1917 – January 23, 1974) was an American model,[1] Broadway dancer, political activist and television personality on the show Winner Take All.
Lindsley was murdered by an unknown assailant on the front steps of her home in St. Augustine, Florida. Her murder remains unsolved.[2]
Early life
Lindsley was born to a wealthy family in
She married a former mayor of St. Augustine, James "Jinx" Lindsley, a successful real estate agent, four months prior to her murder.[4][5] Despite being newly married, they resided in different homes; she lived at 124 Marine Street on the Matanzas River, while he alternatively used the historic Lindsley House at 214 St. George Street and another on Lew Boulevard on Anastasia Island.
Death
Lindsley had been in an ongoing feud with Alan Griffin Stanford Jr., her neighbor at 126 Marine Street. One of the concerns was the six stray dogs she took in that barked incessantly. In a transcript of an October 1973 county meeting, one of the commissioners had remarked, "I am aware you are a neighbor of the Stanfords and that y'all have had neighbor problems," to which Lindsley answered, "That's true. (But) my life has been threatened. You mention personal things. He threatened my life."[1]
Between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on January 23, 1974, Lindsley was attacked on the front steps of her home at 124 Marine Street by a white middle-aged male wearing a white dress shirt and dark dress pants.[4] According to medical examiner Dr. Arthur Schwartz, who performed the autopsy, she was struck nine times with a machete on her hand, arm and in the head. One of her fingers was severed and she was nearly decapitated. The only thing missing from her house was a pet blue jay, whose cage was found smashed.[6]
Toward the end of the attack, an 18-year-old neighbor, Locke McCormick, heard the sounds of a commotion and went outside to look. He allegedly shouted to his mother that "Mr. Stanford is hitting Mrs. Ponsell."[1] After the perpetrator left, the McCormicks went next door and saw Lindsley lying in a pool of blood on her porch and called the police.
Stanford was indicted, pled innocent[7] and was brought to trial; after two hours of jury deliberation, he was acquitted.[8] Critics accused the police of botching the investigation and tainting evidence.
In media
In 1998 Bloody Sunset in St. Augustine, a work of fiction intermixed with facts from the case, was locally published by Jim Mast and Nancy Powell, friends of Lindsley. In 2000, the cable channel
In April 2019 the case was covered on the popular online true crime show BuzzFeed Unsolved.
November 16, 2018 Southern Fried Crime covered the case in An Inconvenient Woman - Athalia Ponsell Lindsley
Second attack
On November 3, 1974, Lindsley's friend and neighbor Frances Bemis went out for her evening walk and never returned. Her body was found the next day in a vacant lot on the corner of Bridge and Marine streets with her skull crushed. Having been a professional newspaper writer, amongst other professions, she may have been gathering material for a book on Lindsley's murder; she had alluded to having certain information. Her murder, like Lindsley's, was never solved.[9]
See also
- List of unsolved murders
References
- ^ OCLC 950745774. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "The True Crime Database - Case File". www.thetruecrimedatabase.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-24. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- ^ a b Strickland, Sandy (January 31, 2000). "LOOKING BACK: '74 slaying still stirs emotions". jacksonville.com. The Florida Times-Union. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ a b c Giunta, Peter. "A Recurring Horror". St. Augustine.com (St. Augustine Record). Archived from the original on 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
- ^ "Decapitated Body Of Former Actress Found". Rushville Republican. 24 January 1974. p. 2. Retrieved 23 September 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "New puzzle added in Florida murder". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 26 January 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 23 September 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- The Naples Daily News. 27 February 1974. p. 65. Retrieved 1 August 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- Panama City News-Herald. 5 February 1975. p. 3. Retrieved 1 August 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Guinta, Peter (January 30, 2007). "'Obnoxious' victim had no shortage of possible killers". staugustine.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
