Two little girls, ages 11 and 12, were out picking wildflowers near their Holland, Michigan, home on an early April afternoon. The girls never came home. Their parents were frantic. Police and sheriff’s department organized large search parties. Some reports claimed more than 500 people joined in the search.
They began on the quiet roadside where the children had last been seen. It wasn’t long before a short trail of fallen wildflowers was found. They followed the wilted blooms which led them to a remote, rugged section of Macatawa Dunes near the shore of Lake Michigan. Discovered beneath mounds of fallen leaves were the lifeless bodies of the children.
To the horror of the families and community, the bodies were riddled with bullets. The suspect was identified almost immediately. His shocked and unbelieving mother reported to the authorities that she had found a note in her son’s room. It read:
“Mom, I’m sorry but it was an accident. I tripped over a log and the gun went off a couple of times. I didn’t mean to do it. When you read this, I will be on my way to Arizona and New Mexico. Keep your chin up. I’ll be back. Don’t do anything rash. Your loving son.”
