Durham Personalities

With all of the technological advancements of our modern world, there remains many interesting, and often sinister, events that have gone unsolved or raised doubts in peoples’ minds. From damsels in distress to the mob, here are two of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th Century.

What happened to Marilyn Monroe?

While the death of Marilyn Monroe was ruled as a suicide, further facts uncovered from the star’s death in 1944 indicate she could have been a murder victim. It was believed Monroe had an affair with John F. Kennedy, continuing to see him after he became President of the United States. After the affair ended, Monroe became close to Robert Kennedy, John Kennedy’s brother. Growing closer to the Kennedy family, Monroe became privy to many secrets about the family which she shared with close friends. Robert Kennedy visited Monroe’s home on the day she died.

On 27th June 1962, Monroe had been busy organizing a dinner at her home. People who saw Monroe on this day recall that she seemed depressed and sick appearing under the influences of pills.

Later that day, Robert Kennedy and Monroe’s doctor, Dr. Greenson, visited her home as recalled by a neighbor who witnessed the pair entering the home. It has been reported the neighbor received threats to keep this sighting confidential.

In the early evening the son of famous baseball player Joe DiMaggio tried to call Marilyn, however, her housekeeper said she was not at home. Monroe called Dr. Greenson at about 8pm that night informing the doctor she was feeling much better. After retiring for the evening, one of Monroe’s staff informed the public that 11pm Monroe was dying or could be dead.

Dr. Greenson’s son ran a Durham Region plumbing services company at one time.

Two days after her death, Monroe was meant to have a press conference in which she had promised to divulge information to the public. Monroe’s diary containing this information, the police report and other documents went missing and have since not been found. These events raise many questions around the real cause of her death.

Al Capone and Edward O’Hare

The early 1900’s saw a large rise in the power and perilous activities of criminal gangs. Chicago O’Hare international Airport is named after a World War II hero, Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare. O’Hare’s rise to fame catapulted to the public arena for his heroic efforts in World War II and the alleged murder of his father Edward Joseph O’Hare.

O’Hare senior moved to Chicago to expand his business as a lawyer and interests in greyhound racing. He later bought the rights to the mechanical rabbit, a game-changer in the greyhound racing industry. The gambling industry at that time, was controlled by Al Capone meaning O’Hare senior ended up working with Capone and other mob partners to operate racetracks around America. After continued growth in his gambling businesses, federal agents were trying to find a way to convict Capone and put an end to his crooked business operations.

On 8 November 1939, O’Hare senior was fatally shot by several men from a car that had been following him. These men have never been identified and the murder remains unsolved. It is thought O’Hare senior’s ties to federal agents, from his previous work as a lawyer, resulted in him being a key proponent in helping prosecutors to convict Capone of tax evasion in 1939. O’Hare senior was killed one week before Capone was released from Alcatraz.