New Hampshire Magazine
And the site of a bizarre murder
February 18, 2021
Photo by Marshall Hudson
I was working alone one snowy morning, following a brook in the northeasterly corner of Pembroke when an object that didn’t fit the surrounding environment suddenly caught my attention. Perhaps it was the grayness of the object contrasted against the stark white background of freshly fallen snow, or maybe the sharp-cornered squareness of the object situated within a stand of round hemlock trees that made it look out of place. Whatever the reason, it called out to me as I was passing by. Curious, I detoured from my route to investigate it.
True crime story reveals reality of 19th-century justice system I Have Struck Mrs. Cochran with a Stake uses an 1830s New Hampshire murder to show how such cases were handled then.
By Tobias Carroll
Share
Do we live in a true crime-obsessed society? The prevalence of podcasts, documentaries and works of nonfiction that fall into this category suggests that this is indeed the case. And it isn’t difficult to see why. Some true crime works offer the timeless pleasure of a thrilling narrative. Others focus on fascinating subcultures or larger-than-life personalities. Still others use the genre of true crime to explore institutions some doing unsung work, some entangled with corruption, and some in desperate need of reform.