Man believed to have murdered 7-year-old Ammon girl in 1916 ended up in jail but wasn’t charged with her death

AMMON — An Ammon woman mysteriously vanished successful 1916 connected her measurement location from religion leaving nan organization clueless arsenic to “where nan small woman went aliases successful what direction.”

The story connected 7-year-old Alice Empey (it was antecedently reported she was 8 years old) was featured successful our play Looking Back column, which looks backmost connected what life was for illustration during definite clip periods successful eastbound Idaho history.

RELATED: Looking back: Ammon woman goes missing aft leaving religion and babe ejected successful clang ends up successful gutter pinch only ‘some insignificant scratches’

Alice disappears

Alice near location adjacent Ammon connected Sunday morning, April 16, 1916, to be Sunday school. Reports opportunity she attended Sunday schoolhouse and vanished connected her measurement home. Before leaving for church, Alice was “told by her mother that she mightiness sojourn her grandmother.”

“The kid did not return and nan grandma was telephoned Monday and stated that nan kid had not been there,” The Rigby Star reported. “The siren was fixed and nan hunt taken up.”

The small woman was wearing a acheronian hat, an aged roseate dress, achromatic stockings, acheronian shoes and had a achromatic ribbon successful her hairsbreadth erstwhile she went missing.

The Blackfoot Idaho Republican said connected April 28, 1916, nan full organization gathered to thief find nan small girl. Streams successful nan vicinity were “carefully dragged” and nan surrounding state searched.

E.S. Empey, a relative, explained nan disappearance of nan kid was a enigma because nan roadworthy from her location to Ammon, half a mile away, “affords nary opportunity to go lost, is successful plain show each of nan measurement and location are nary canals to cross.”

Not nan first kidnapping successful Empey family

Alice was not nan first Empey successful nan family to spell missing, according to Idaho historiographer Rick Just’s Speaking of Idaho blog. In July 1915, Alonzo Ernest Empey, who went by Ernest, was abducted. Ernest’s niece was Alice. Ernest was a able sheepherder who had a ranch successful Bingham County, eastbound of Wolverine Canyon. That was wherever he was taken.

Ernest escaped his kidnapper aft almost a week successful captivity. The man, who had asked for $6,000 successful ransom, was named Leonidas Dean. He had erstwhile worked for Ernest arsenic a sheepherder.

“With that abduction caller successful people’s minds, it is nary wonderment location was speculation astir a relationship erstwhile a 2nd Empey went missing,” Just wrote connected his blog. “Law enforcement authorities questioned Leonidas Dean astir nan missing girl, though he was not a fishy himself. He was serving 1 to 10 successful nan Idaho State Penitentiary for nan 1915 abduction.”

Theories circulate, portion of grounds discovered

Several theories connected what happened to Alice began to emerge. Someone remembered a speeding car connected nan roadworthy by Alice’s location connected nan time she disappeared. A mentation was she’d accidentally been deed by nan car, and fearing prosecution, nan driver hid her body.

The hunt past took a “new urgency” erstwhile a scrap of clothing that included a fastener was recovered astir a half-mile from her location connected April 21, 1916.

“The hunt for nan kid aliases for her assemblage is being continued acold backmost into nan hills by 200 men,” Just shared from an April 23, 1916, Idaho Statesman article. “If nan car mishap mentation is disproved location will beryllium thing to autumn backmost upon prevention nan mentation that nan kid was kidnapped and is being held for ransom from her able relatives.”

Alice’s assemblage found, politician announces reward

On May 15, 1916, Alice’s assemblage was found. J.W. Patterson, a farmer, recovered nan assemblage successful a “clump of drift wood” that had washed down Sand Creek astir 200 yards from nan Empey home.

“The uncovering of nan assemblage of small Alice Empey, adjacent Idaho Falls yesterday, brings to ray what appears to person been a crime of peculiarly atrocious proportions and each indications are to nan effect that nan kid not only was nan unfortunate of outrage, but was fearfully mutilated and nan assemblage formed into nan canal,” The Pocatello Tribune wrote.

“The lawsuit attracted wide attraction each complete nan state connected relationship of it being 1 of nan astir unspeakable and fearful crimes ever enacted successful this section,” The Pocatello Tribune later stated.

Idaho Gov. Moses Alexander announced a $1,000 reward from nan State of Idaho for nan “apprehension and condemnation of nan personification aliases persons” responsible for murdering Alice.

“Several suspects were questioned astir nan murder, past released,” Just mentioned connected his blog. “Suspiciously, 1 of nan men questioned committed termination soon after.”

He explains connected his blog that Luke May, a backstage detective from Salt Lake City, was hired to activity connected nan case.

“May, sometimes called America’s Sherlock Holmes, had a estimation for utilizing technological methods for solving crimes,” Just stated. “May came to judge that nan personification who had killed Alice was apt personification who lived disconnected nan onshore and seldom came successful interaction pinch people. Just specified a man entered nan story.”

Who is Edward Ness?

In December 1916, news came retired of Hailey, Idaho, that authorities had arrested a man by nan sanction of Edward Ness, 26, for attacking a young woman successful her home, according to Just.

“He is simply a Russian rod who came to this state successful 1905, a tailor by waste and acquisition but for nan past year-and-a-half has been doing thing astatine each and has been roaming nan state and, according to nan officers, surviving nan life of a chaotic man,” The Pocatello Tribune wrote.

It continued, “he was arrested connected nan outskirts of nan Snake River desert, after, truthful nan officers state, he had made an onslaught connected a woman successful a farmhouse situated connected nan separator of nan godforsaken and acold from immoderate different habitation.”

Edward Ness. | Courtesy Rick Just

Just mentioned successful his article that during nan authorities interrogation, they learned that Ness had earlier attacked 3 sisters successful nan Hailey area, holding them arsenic prisoners successful a compartment for a time.

“There was talk successful Hailey of an imminent lynching, particularly erstwhile connection sewage retired that Ness had confessed to nan execution of Alice Empey while nether interrogation by Luke May,” Just wrote. “That seemed to lick nan Alice Empey case, astatine slightest until news deed location papers that Ness had not successful truth confessed.”

Was Ness charged pinch murdering Alice?

Officers said Ness admitted to being successful Ammon nan time Alice disappeared. He besides gave officers a “vivid account” arsenic to really nan execution took spot but stated “he heard of nan lawsuit only” and “did not confess to nan crime.”

“Did he confess aliases did he not? Luke May, nan backstage detective, believed Ness had confessed and had committed nan murder, but nan man was ne'er charged pinch it,” Just explained. “Instead, he was charged pinch a crime for which location was coagulated evidence, a sadistic rape, convicted, and sentenced to 20 years successful nan Idaho State Penitentiary. … Officially nan execution of Alice Empey remains unsolved.”

Alice Empey headstone astatine nan Ammon Cemetery. | Courtesy Rick Just