Dec 16, 1953 – The US Marshals in Fairbanks belatedly submit the soiled pajamas Diane was wearing on the evening before the murder to the FBI in Washington, DC. Will there be GSR and blood traces alongside her vomit after an upset stomach?

Dec 17, 1953 Raymond Burr, who played “Perry Mason” on television, often visited his sister and niece in Fairbanks; it’s possible that the Wells Family reached out via him to Erle Stanley Gardner, “Perry Mason” creator, to ask for the name of a private eye....

“All of the facts are not known and may never be, but enough became public to make the Alaska murder case a grim thriller that outdid anything invented by mystery writers like James Cain, Rex Stout, or Mickey Spillane” - Ebony magazine, October 1954

Dec 18, 1953 – Alaska Weekly interviews the recently-resigned Fairbanks Chief of Police, EV Danforth, who says there are “5 Unanswered Questions” about the investigation….

Do you live in or near Kodiak? If so, you can now buy "The Alaskan Blonde" at The Islander - support your local bookstore! islanderbookshop.com

Dec 19, 1953 - the headline in the Pittsburgh Courier shows the story has hit the Lower 48; Diane always denied that she and Johnny Warren were lovers...

LA-based wineries cultivate the area’s history as a wine-growing region dailynews.com/2023/12/04/la-… via L.A. Daily News

CASE NOTES - Dec 20, 1955 - FBI analysis shows no connection between the bullet that killed Cecil Wells and gun #4 (a Hungarian pistol) nor to some .380 cartridges that were suspected of being the murder weapon...

Was Cecil's murder connected to organized crime? Karin Wells, the granddaughter of Wells family friend Reuben Tarte, said that “Cecil knew that they had a put a hit out on him… and he had money stashed and all kinds of things.”

The ballots went out for the Left Coast Crime Lefty awards this morning. I would be honored if you'd consider CHEAP TRILLS for the Best Humorous category. Thank you. #LeftyAwards #screwball #comedy #WritingCommmunity You can find it here: amzn.to/3PVPuc1

The 1st issue of "Official Detective Stories" was in January 1954, and its cover story was the Cecil Wells murder.

“Here was romance and money and mystery - and the sinister work of a killer who had to be captured” - Official Detective Stories, January 1954

Jan 3, 1959 - Alaska becomes the 49th state of the USA. That Alaska was still a territory really affected the Cecil Wells murder investigation, and Terrence Cole notes that it '"remains to this day the most notorious and baffling case in the history of Fairbanks”.

CASE NOTES - Jan 4, 1948 - Johnny Warren marries a pregnant Clara Malcolm in Seattle. Alas their son would die soon after birth.

Jan 8, 1952 - Diane and Cecil go to Brazil. It involved a series of flights, and such foreign travel was pretty rare at the time. This is Diane's entry visa - note she signed her legal first name, Dissie.

Hi, I won't be updating here anymore - please follow me on Facebook or on Instagram The Alaskan Blonde by James T. Bartlett

Hi, I won't be updating here anymore - please follow me on Facebook or The Alaskan Blonde by James T. Bartlett Cheers!