Murderers of the 1800s

Ever watch those gruesome TV shows dealing with solving murders, or about the murderers themselves? You know, the ones where right when it gets to a good part, it's a five minute commercial break. So then you're impatiently sitting at the edge of your seat only to find out the killer was the first person they questioned. Or how about the horror movies that come on, especially now in mid October? Friday the Thirteenth and A Nightmare on Elm Street are the ones that I absolutely cannot watch. Oh, and also Chucky from Child's Play. Goodness gracious, that doll gave me nightmares from second grade all the way to seventh. I guess the point I'm trying to make here is that murders and things of that sort are something that catches most everyone's eyes.


Octavius Barron
According to Enzine Articles, William Lyman was the first victim ever murdered in Rochester, NY. New to Rochester, the married Lyman worked both at the J.W. Hooker wheat mill as a purchasing agent and at Tonawanda Rail Road as a bookkeeper (The Rochester Insomniac). Due to his job as a purchasing agent, Lyman was carrying a large sum of money on his walk home after locking up shop at approximately 9:00 P.M on October 27th, 1987 (Examiner). Walking through an unlit alley for a short cut to his house, Lyman is shot at "point blank range" in the back of the head by eighteen year-old Octavius Barron (Enzine Articles).


The Murder of William Lyman

According to The Rochester Insomniac, Barron "would be described on the news as a troubled youth" with spending his time with prostitutes, gambling, and stealing. It's safe to say that this Barron kid already had a pretty infamous reputation before the murder. After shooting him, Barron stole all the money Lyman had on him, went to a bar, and flashed everyone the money while bragging about the murder (Enzine Articles). Hours after the crime, Barron was arrested (Enzine Articles). When arrested, the policemen found Lyman's gold pieces in his pockets (The...