Hall–Mills murder case
| Hall–Mills murder case | |
|---|---|
| Location | Somerset, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Date | September 14, 1922 |
Attack type | Double-murder by shooting, mutilation |
| Victims | Edward Wheeler Hall and Eleanor Reinhardt Mills |
| Accused |
|
| Verdict | Frances, Henry and William Stevens: Not guilty Henry Carpender: Charge dropped |
| Charges | Murder |
| Outcome | Cold case |
The Hall–Mills murder case involved Edward Wheeler Hall, an Episcopal priest, and Eleanor Mills, a member of his choir with whom he was having an affair, both of whom were murdered on September 14, 1922, in Somerset, New Jersey, United States. Hall's wife and her brothers were accused of committing the murders, but were acquitted in a 1926 trial. In the history of journalism, the case is largely remembered for the vast, nationwide newspaper coverage it received, unusual for a local murder case at that time; it has been regarded as an early example of a media circus. It would take the Lindbergh kidnapping trial in the 1930s to eclipse the high profile of the Hall-Mills case.