As the deaths of Lennie Small and Diane Parker were announced yesterday, the local community of Soledad went into a state of frenzy due to shock and disbelief. The news broke out last night about the sudden death of Diane Parker, wife of Curley Parker, and rumors spread that a Mr. Lennie Small, who had only recently came to the ranch with his traveling partner and best friend George Milton to work, had committed the murder and was being searched for. Then, shortly afterwards, the sheriff announced that this Mr. Small had been found dead down by the Salinas river, normally a quiet reflective spot. The sheriff gave a statement regarding Mr. Small’s death; “We have arrested Mr. George Milton for the death of Mr. Small but we cannot give any further information as we are currently conducting further enquires with Mr. Milton and the other ranch workers. As for the death of Mrs. Diane Parker, we will no longer be investigating into it, as solid evidence has shown that Mr. Small was solely involved in this case, which the post mortem has shown was due to severe strangling of the neck. Until any action has been taken or there are any changes in regards to these double murders, there is no other news. So, on behalf of myself and the other sheriffs, I would like to give our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of Mr. Small and Mrs. Parker.” There have been no further statements since then.
But although the sheriff and his deputy are unable to say anything else until any changes, there has been no end to the vast amount of rumors that have been flying about. From claims that Mr. Small firstly tried to rape Mrs. Parker and when his attempt failed, he strangled her in anger, to claims that Mr. Small was having an affair with Mrs. Parker and on account of her not giving him what he wanted at the time, he killed her. There have been various rumors but only the two victims of murder know what happened in the barn yesterday but sadly will not be able to tell anybody.
As the ranch workers have been traveling down to the sheriff’s office today, we spoke to a few of them to hear their views on the situation. A man named Candy Langstone told us the following, “Was me who found her! Lying there on the floor half covered with old hay! I’ve always hated her, little tart she was! Always causin’ trouble! Had no right messin’ with the guy’s heads, she’d must husband! But she didn’t deserve to be killed by ‘im.”
We also spoke to a Mr. John Carlson and when asked for his view on Mr. Small and his friend Mr. George Milton, he said, “George and Lennie came to our ranch to work for Parker a couple of weeks ago. Always thought there was sumfin’ strange! Lennie was as daft as a dead dog and George had always gotta do all the talking.’ Poor Lennie always tried his best, a big softie he was. I don’t think the man ever meant any harm with Curley’s wife, daft as he was, he didn’t know his own strength. Anyways, Curley’s wife was a tart. She was always down in the barn foolin’ around with us guys, but she was never wanted there.”
So it seems that Mrs. Parker wasn’t the most popular among the workers, but was it this that caused Mr. Small to murder her? We will never know.
We also found out from a reliable source, who wishes to remain nameless, that Mr. Small and Mr. Milton often traveled from ranch to ranch together in the hope of finding work and collecting a sum before moving on again. This time, the two men had came from Weed, a town ten miles outside of Soledad, because Mr. Small apparently got into trouble with another woman there and was on the run for fear of being found. So maybe there is something else missing from this story?
We talked to the owner of the ranch, Sandy Parker last night to find out more information concerning the deaths. He was very short with us but he did tell us that since Mr. Small and Mr. Milton arrived at the ranch, he was weary of them, but it was more Mr. Milton that he was worried about, he thought Lennie hadn’t the head to do anything stupid, but he was wrong. He also told us that his son Curley has been terribly upset and distraught since he came in to the barn to find the other men standing over his wife’s dead body. He said that yesterday, if his son had got anywhere near Lennie Small, he would have shot him! But lucky for Curley, George got there first. Locals have also been talking about what state Curley Parker was in yesterday as he tore through the town shouting out how he was “gonna kill Small” and anybody that got in his way, he would “kill them too!”
When we were around the ranch, we dropped into a place beside it called ‘Susy’s’ to see what we could find. There were only two or three men sitting round a table in silence. We talked to ‘Susy,’ she told that her place is usually a bit more crowded after the local men come in after their day’s work but not today for respecting the dead. She told us that most of the men that come in to see her are workers up at the ranch but they hadn’t been in as they were all down with the sheriff. “My heart goes out to them, poor fellows. This town has always been a quiet, peaceful little town but not since
them two men turned up, troublemakers are what they are!
This tragedy has obviously affected this town in a huge way as nothing like this has ever happened in this town before and people will most likely remain in a state of shock for a while.
If anybody knows anyone involved in this situation or anything to do with it that might be of any help, please call us as soon as possible.
Michelle Grant