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Marion’s Missing: The Kidnapping and Murder that Shocked the Nation
On the afternoon of Thursday, December 15, 1927, a man walked into the offices of Mount Vernon Junior High School in Los Angeles, California, and introduced himself as an employee of the city’s First National Trust and Savings. The charming young gentleman, who neglected to give his name, claimed that he had been sent by his supervisor, bank officer Perry Parker to retrieve his youngest daughter. He explained that her father had been involved in a terrible accident and wanted nothing other than to be near his precious child in his moment of need.
The registrar on duty that day, Mary Holt, didn’t know what to make of the request. Eyeing him up and down, she informed the man that Mr. Parker had two children at the school, twins Marion and Marjorie. With all the patience she could muster, she wondered aloud which of the girls he had come to collect.
Momentarily taken aback by the question, the man had responded, “the smaller one.” Though he was well-dressed and looked every bit the young professional, something about the stranger’s demeanor had rubbed Mrs. Holt the wrong way. As she sat pondering what to do next, the man, sensing her reluctance to do as he asked, suggested she phone the bank to verify his story.
