Gwen Kubberness from Criminal’s Genealogy shares this blog as part of our “How I Solved It” series.
Gwen’s research takes an alternate route into genealogy by studying criminal cases and digs into their backgrounds, sharing what has been discovered regarding her ancestors and their pasts.
Amil Steven Weller was born in Pittsburgh, PA on 30July 1920 (His daughter said he was born in Rhode Island) to Katherine Stager his father Frank Stager.
His mother came to America from Czechoslovakia, Naturalization record is below.
Notes: Apr 1945: Name listed as WILMA STAGER SEEMAN; Sep 1961: Name listed as WILMA MORALES; May 1963: Name listed as WILMA STAGER; Jun 1966: Name listed as WILMA S HAMPAYAN; Oct 1966: Name listed as WILMA STAGER OSBORNE; 24 Oct 1996: Name listed as WILMA S OSBORNEBrother: William F Satger He got married to a night club singer June White Ganahl secretly and they got into an argument and she shot him and he died from the wounds. Here’s some newspaper articles I found. 1939
San Quentin Prison Card |
San Quentin Prison Mugshot Card |
San Quentin Prison |
San Quentin Prison |
He was in and out of prison his whole life then in 1943 he was sentenced to life in prison and I wanted to know the whole story So I put my investigation skills into gear and started searching the internet and newspapers and this is what I found. I was so stunned. Let;s start first with the prison sentence and records.
Tehachapi Women’s prison 1932 |
Tehachapi Women’s prison, they called it a cottage |
1931-1933 He was committed to Whittier State Industrial School
1937-1938 He was committed to Preston State Industrial School
Both in California.
At some point he joined the US. Marines I did not find a record.
He did have a tattoo of a dagger & emblem with these word “Death Before Dishonor”
Terminal Island Prison |
I think he may have deserted because he was placed in a Federal Prison called Terminal Island in California Inmate #1353 on 6 Mar 1940 this written on record. N.M.V.T.A. got 18 months then he was transferred to El Reno, OK 24 May 1940 Inmate #7457 He violated parole 5 Nov 1941 and was discharged on 5 Jan 1942.
He had 2 alias “”Eddie O’Brien” & John Law”
He died on 14 Apr 1995 in Reno, Nevada
He is buried in Mountain View Cemetery Reno, Washoe County, Nevada, USA Findagrave Memorial # 122078833
Folsom Prison Record |
San Quentin Prison |
San Quentin Priosn |
San Quentin prison Record |
I hope someone from Tru Tv can do a story on this or it’s turned into a movie. It would be truly wonderful. There is so much more to it.
Wow! All started with finding one card. Sad sad story.
Yes it sure did and I was contacted by a daughter of the son of the crazy women