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In a lavish Menlo Park estate in 1932, three people died within two months of each other: Frank M. Spencer (the head of a prosperous elevator manufacturer), his wife, Edith Spencer, and their gardener, John Viano. The initial inquiries stated that Frank had died of natural causes, and Viano shot Edith (whom he allegedly was in love with) two months later before shooting himself with a gun belonging to Frank.
But Edith’s sister, Alice, was not satisfied with these findings and sent a letter two years later to then-County Sheriff James McGrath, insisting that the three bodies be exhumed and the case reopened: “This is a formal demand for the reopening of the investigation into the murder of Mrs. Edith Spencer at Menlo Park, July 20, 1932. We are convinced that Mrs. Spencer was murdered and that her gardener, John Viano, was also murdered and that the murderers have never been brought to justice…”
Alice brought up what she felt were facts to back up her position: Viano had no knowledge of where Frank’s gun was kept before the “murder/suicide.” Viano had been receiving threatening letters from an anonymous source and, concerned for his own safety, purchased a gun for protection (which, it should be pointed out, was never found). Finally, based on the official trajectory of the bullet that killed Viano, it was “virtually impossible” for him to have shot himself. Alice also believed that Frank had been poisoned, apparently by tainted milk.
Alice hinted that the killers were the Spencers' houseboy, along with an accomplice, who were seen together in an automobile outside the Spencer home the night before the bodies were discovered. The houseboy heatedly denied this.
Sheriff McGrath gave Alice’s letter due consideration and told The Times that “if they can furnish us with any more additional facts and theories, we will reopen the investigation. Otherwise we have nothing to go on.” The District Attorney, however, said that, to him, “the case is closed…(but) any reopening of the investigation is, of course, up to the Sheriff’s Office.”
And there the newspaper stories ended. I can only guess that Alice’s “demand” went nowhere and that the case was never reopened. Bo Crane, the Menlo Park Historical Association historian, is also unaware of the fate of the attempted reopening of the case. If, however, you know that there was more to the story, please leave that information in the comments below.
