FILE 146 / 21 November 2019 / 166 MIN / full

A Strangle Here, A Strangle There

Hutchinson, KansasListen

The town

N ↑Public placePublic placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

We're going to Hutchinson, Kansas, and it is in Reno County. about 0:05:57

History, in brief

1871

Founded in 1871 by Clinton C. Hutchinson, an Indian agent, who contracted with the Santa Fe Railroad to build a town at the railroad's crossing over the Arkansas River.

about 0:10:03

Town note

The town grew north of the tracks on the banks of Cow Creek, where a couple of houses already stood.

about 0:10:46

Town note

Hutchinson founded the Reno County Bank and erected the state's first water mill.

about 0:10:59

Town note

Nicknamed Temperance City because the founder made it a dry town with no alcohol.

about 0:11:12
All 12 history facts

1871

Founded in 1871 by Clinton C. Hutchinson, an Indian agent, who contracted with the Santa Fe Railroad to build a town at the railroad's crossing over the Arkansas River.

about 0:10:03

Town note

The town grew north of the tracks on the banks of Cow Creek, where a couple of houses already stood.

about 0:10:46

Town note

Hutchinson founded the Reno County Bank and erected the state's first water mill.

about 0:10:59

Town note

Nicknamed Temperance City because the founder made it a dry town with no alcohol.

about 0:11:12

1887

In 1887 the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a main line from Herrington through Hutchinson.

about 0:13:37

1887

Salt deposits were found in 1887 when the land speculator Ben Blanchard, drilling for oil, struck salt; he founded South Hutchinson.

about 0:14:14

Town note

Salt mining became the town's major industry and gave it the nickname the Salt City.

about 0:15:02

1873

Hutchinson has hosted the Kansas State Fair since 1873.

about 0:15:16

1943

In 1943 German and Italian prisoners of war were brought to Kansas as forced labour in the salt mines, at Camp Concordia, Camp Funston and Camp Phillips.

about 0:15:37

2001

In January 2001, 143 million cubic feet of compressed natural gas leaked from a storage field; an explosion at 10.45am destroyed two downtown businesses, a second explosion the next day in a mobile home park killed two people, and the Kansas National Guard was called in to evacuate the city.

about 0:19:00

2013

In January and June 2013 the town was renamed Smallville for a day to promote the Smallville Con comic book convention.

about 0:20:28

The figures, as told

Religious

about 53%

Biggest faith: Jewish, 0.0%

about 0:25:53

Who lives here

White 80% · Black 4% · Hispanic 11.9% · Asian not even 1%

Ethnicity can overlap race.

Crime / national average

Property crime
▲ almost double

about 0:33:18

Violent crime
▲ about one third above

about 0:33:26

Money

Median home value$94,100
Two-bedroom rent$729
Median household income$45,000
Cost of living74

For sale

$68,500

Three-bedroom, one-bath house, 1,340 square feet

about 0:28:58

For sale

$124,500

Three-bedroom, three-bath house, 2,660 square feet

about 0:29:06

For sale

$205,000

Four-bedroom, three-bath house, 3,374 square feet

about 0:29:26
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2019

Property crime

"almost double"

Comparison: "the national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2019 about 0:33:18

Violent crime

"about one third above"

Comparison: "the national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2019 about 0:33:26

Population

"41,316"

No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:24:41

Median age

"39"

Comparison: "a couple of years older than normal". Direction: above.

As told in 2019 about 0:25:12

Married

"49%"

Comparison: "normally 50-50". No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:25:15

Divorce rate

"15%"

Comparison: "high". Direction: above.

As told in 2019 about 0:25:19

White

"80%"

Comparison: "about 61.5% normally". No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:25:33

Hispanic

"11.9%"

Comparison: "a little bit low". Direction: below.

As told in 2019 about 0:25:42

Asian

"not even 1%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:25:49

Religious

"about 53%"

Comparison: "usually 50-50". Direction: above.

As told in 2019 about 0:25:53

Voted Democrat

"28%"

Comparison: "in the county at the last presidential election". No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:26:14

Unemployment rate

"a little under 4%"

Comparison: "a tiny drop higher than the rest of the country". Direction: above.

As told in 2019 about 0:26:29

Median household income

"$45,000"

Comparison: "normally about $57,000". No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:26:37

People making under $30,000 a year

"30%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:26:44

Mining jobs

"less than half a percent"

Direction: below.

As told in 2019 about 0:26:56

Cost of living index

"74"

Comparison: "100 is average". Direction: below.

As told in 2019 about 0:26:56

Housing cost index

"41"

Comparison: "the lowest part of the cost of living". No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:26:56

Median home cost

"$94,100"

No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:26:56

Homes worth between $80,000 and $200,000

"50%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:27:47

Homes worth under $80,000

"over 30%"

Direction: above.

As told in 2019 about 0:27:54

Average two-bedroom rent

"$729"

Comparison: "in line with the cost of living". Direction: about the same.

As told in 2019 about 0:28:21

Three-bedroom, one-bath house, 1,340 square feet

"$68,500"

Comparison: "listing". No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:28:58

Three-bedroom, three-bath house, 2,660 square feet

"$124,500"

Comparison: "listing". No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:29:06

Four-bedroom, three-bath house, 3,374 square feet

"$205,000"

Comparison: "listing". No direction stated.

As told in 2019 about 0:29:26

The reviews

1.0 / 5 · average of 5

1 star

“A sewer pond full of corrupt cops and city officials, with a new city tax every year, an out-of-hand meth problem, a buffoon of a city manager and a Target that was run out of town.”
about 0:21:06

1 star

“Full of hateful drug-infested people who drive slowly to annoy you, thieves who lie to your face, only one major store, a hospital with a mortality rate through the roof and sonic booms from the mining; the whole town is going to sink.”
about 0:21:49

1 star

“Hutchinson is a sewer: rude people, thieves, criminals ruling, a full jail, a medical system that sucks, police who cannot keep up and firemen standing on every corner.”
about 0:22:23

1 star

“Two months in Hutch and it is terrible: a major meth issue, nothing to do, not a place to raise kids, a horrible vibe and nowhere to shop except Dillon's.”
about 0:23:47

1 star

“Hutch is lacking quite a bit of things. End of story.”
about 0:24:28

In Kansas

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The story

Their next-door neighbour, Mary Jackson, who was up early in her kitchen, saw him go. A short time later she noticed water running out from under the garage door of the Parks house. He came over, found the garage itself dry, and followed the water into the house. In the bathroom he found the tub running at full blast and overflowing, and Rachel dead in the water. He called the sheriff and an ambulance. Rachel was taken to hospital, where attempts to resuscitate her failed.

The autopsy found no drugs, no alcohol, no bruises, no signs of strangulation and no injuries. She had drowned. Two detectives, Lauren Bachore and Bailis, were sent to the house. The interview began at 8.20am. He was taken to the county attorney's office, where the county attorney was not present, and the call was eventually dialled for him by an officer. He was not told he was free to leave until about eleven o'clock, after two and a half hours.

That morning the county attorney interviewed Mary Jackson. The physical case was thin. There was no proof of how Rachel came to be unconscious in the water, and the only direct evidence against her husband was his own statement about the timing.

The suppression was affirmed. He stayed in Kansas briefly and then moved to New Mexico.

Over the next twelve years he married four more times, five marriages in all. His second wife left him after he forced her to the floor and pushed a rubber ball into her mouth and throat. His fourth wife disappeared; the episode says she could not be traced and there is no record of her death. His fifth wife was Viola Parks.

In 1994 Viola filed for divorce. He then put a butter knife to her throat and began punching it in with his fist. While he did it he complained that she was not dying quickly enough, and he told her that he was going to kill her like he killed Rachel. She bit one of his fingers hard enough that he loosened his grip, and she ran from the house with the knife still in her throat. The blade had pressed against an artery and restricted the blood flow, causing a stroke that left the left side of her body partly paralysed.

Viola survived and gave evidence. The police in New Mexico then contacted Reno County in Kansas about what he had said during the attack.

The case

Murder of Rachel Parks

Victims

Rachel Parks (27). Married to ; mother of two, including six-year-old Jennifer

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 21 November 2019.

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Mary Jackson. next-door neighbour who saw leave and saw the water, then called his father
Jennifer Parks. six-year-old daughter questioned by the detectives
Brenda. Rachel's best friend and sister-in-law, who gave a victim impact statement
Detective Lauren Bachore. lead detective
Detective Bailis. detective who brought in

The timeline

  1. June 16, 1978 Mary Jackson sees leave home in his pickup truck at about 6am (Parks house)about 0:42:17
  2. June 16, 1978 Mary Jackson sees water running out from under the Parks garage door (Parks house)about 0:43:21
  3. June 16, 1978 Mary Jackson calls father (Parks house)about 0:45:11
  4. June 16, 1978 father follows the water and finds the bath overflowing and Rachel dead in it (Parks house)about 0:47:20

Attempted murder of Viola Parks

Victims

Viola Parks. fifth wife; survived the attack but was left partly paralysed

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 21 November 2019.

Accused

Outcome

The timeline

  1. 1994 Viola Parks files for divorce from about 1:31:17
  2. 1994 Two days later pins her down and strangles herabout 1:31:23
  3. 1994 He puts a butter knife to her throat and punches it in with his fistabout 1:32:15
  4. 1994 He tells her he will kill her like he killed Rachelabout 1:35:09
  5. 1994 She bites his finger and escapes with the knife still in her throatabout 1:32:46
  6. 1994 The knife has constricted an artery; she suffers a stroke and is left partly paralysed on her left sideabout 1:33:38

Places and phrases

N ↑Public placePublic placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

Heard in this episode