A lifetime of wondering
SANDPOINT - Jim Turpin of Post Falls is still haunted by a murder that occurred when he was only 4 years old.
Now 80, he still finds himself thinking about April 25, 1939, almost daily. On that fateful evening, his uncle, James Turpin, was killed by a mysterious gunman in a robbery gone wrong. The slaying is a cold case more than 70 years old, and throughout that time, Turpin has spent his life wondering who the murderer was and how he lived his life.
"I'd sure like to know about the person who did that crime," he said. "Did he live out his life in Sandpoint? Did he end up going to prison for a different crime? It's something I've always wondered."
The incident was well-covered by regional newspapers of the day. Around 10:45 p.m., the 31-year-old Turpin and his 23-year-old friend, James McFall, arrived at Nita's, a roadhouse and beer parlor located a mile west of Sandpoint. With them were female companions Verna Palmer and Mona Martin. Little did they know an attempted robbery of the club was already in progress.
Turpin and his friends didn't realize the seriousness of the situation as they stepped out of the car. According to media reports, Palmer thought the situation was a joke and playfully attempted to remove the robber's handkerchief mask as he attempted to gain entry to the private club. In response, he turned his gun on Turpin's party. Both Turpin and McFall rushed the robber to disarm him, and both were fatally shot. Turpin died instantly, while McFall passed away hours later. The killer immediately fled, leaving behind the handkerchief obscuring his face.
There were few clues for law enforcement to piece together a case. Witnesses described the murderer as a 19-year-old about 5 feet 8 inches tall with light hair and skin and a slender build. The next day, Coeur d'Alene police arrested Earl Kilie, 30, on suspicion of the murders. He was later released when police determined there was no connection.
The lack of justice was especially frustrating for Jim Turpin's father, the brother of the victim. Even though he was only 4, Turpin still remembers when his dad left to attend the funeral.
"Being as young as I was, I didn't really understand everything, but it must have been pretty bad for him under the circumstances," Turpin said.
As Turpin grew, however, so did his interest in pinpointing the identity of the killer. Unfortunately, his private investigations over the years failed to turn up any leads. After all, cold cases become notoriously difficult to solve only a short time after the crime occurs, never mind after almost 80 years. As he has spent time in Sandpoint, however, he has met a few lifelong residents that still recall hearing about the crime.
"There was one person I met at Connie's - he looked like he might have been 80 or 90," Turpin said. "He told me, 'I remember that like it was yesterday!'"
Turpin went so far as to submit his information to the television show "Unsolved Mysteries." Producers returned the materials to him shortly thereafter, saying the crime was too old for them to use for the show.
As Turpin ages, however, he finds the crime is one of those lingering questions that continues to gnaw at him. With no way of knowing the murderer's identity, he can only speculate on the kind of life he lived following the killings. Even so, he holds out hope that someone out there has information they've not yet brought forward. Those familiar with the case can reach Turpin at (208) 773-7152.
"This has been on my mind for years," Turpin said. "You go on with your life, but I've always wanted to know what happened to this man."