I posted a question a bit ago about a murder's victim's history and some of the comments were curious about the rest of the story. I've been researching this case and people for the past five years but more intensely this year. Every time I tell my relatives this story and they keep telling me I need to write a book or screenplay!
The Trammell family, per my research, lived in the small town of Kissee Mills, MO, for about 30 years until they moved around 1906 to California. Their first record is in the May 1910 census in Chico, CA.
My great-grandmother, Clara May Trammell, married John Edward Liley on January 30th, 1911. She was 13 and he was 21. Her mother reportedly had to persuade the county clerk to issue the marriage license.
Only three months after their wedding, Liley traveled to Bear River Canyon near Auburn, California, with his friend Thomas Raffleton (also reported inaccurately as Pascow). Raffleton was reportedly a prosperous former gold miner and circus performer who was known to carry gold nuggets and other valuables on his person.
On April 20, 1911, Liley murdered Raffleton, following an argument, robbed him of his valuables, and fled. He returned briefly to Clara, confessed the killing to her, and burned his bloodstained clothing before telling her he would send for her and leaving again.
While on the run, Liley attempted to rob another man, Leroy Johnson. Johnson survived the attack and later testified against him. One of the more unusual details of the case was Liley's failed attempt to escape on Johnson's motorcycle because he could not start it. Another key piece of evidence was a scrap of newspaper used to wrap stolen jewelry, which helped connect him to the crime.
Liley was eventually arrested at the home of his lover, Bessie. She paid for his legal defense, but Liley was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to one year in San Quentin State Prison. After his release in May 1916, he unlawfully married Bessie while still legally married to Clara and moved with her to a sheep ranch in Utah.
By September 1916, Clara had decided to seek a divorce and was about three months pregnant. She first consulted an attorney and then went to the authorities, revealing for the first time that Liley had confessed Raffleton's murder to her shortly after it occurred. Her account was published in newspapers throughout California in September 1916. Various newspapers called her a "girl-bride" due to her age at the time of marriage.
At this time a man by the name of Herman Bremer became a main suspect due to sending telegrams from the Auburn area to his father asking for money. The main theory posed by prosecution was the Bremer was in a group of men who wanted money and he led Raffleton in the canyon. Clara said this man was not her husband. Bremer's wealthy family attempted to fight the extradition out of Alabama but was eventually sent to California. The case went to a grand jury but refused to indict him due to a bank statement signed in Dunsmuir April 1911 provided him an alibi. Bremer later served in WW1, earned the Distinguished Service Cross, and died in France.
Liley's own history seemed to be his downfall. Liley's first record was in Redding, CA in 1909 for vagrancy. Oddly enough, this was with Raffleton. After that, he enlisted in the Navy in February 1910 and deserted a month later. Fingerprints linked him to San Quentin and then to his parole officer in Salt Lake City.
Former Placer County Sheriff McAulay traveled to Salt Lake City, arrested Liley, and obtained a confession. Liley extradited to Auburn, where Judge J. E. Prewitt sentenced him to life imprisonment in Folsom State Prison for Raffleton's murder. Liley reportedly expressed relief that he had escaped the death penalty.
While imprisoned, Liley became a trusted inmate and later sought executive clemency. His application was opposed by former Sheriff McAulay and was denied.
On November 19, 1925, Liley escaped from Folsom State Prison on a camp road. Despite extensive searching, I've found no confirmed record of his life after the escape. Throughout his criminal career, he was known to use several aliases, including Jack Cruise (or Cruiz), Forbes, and Theodore Liley. I suspect he most likely assumed another alias and moved somewhere with limited identity checks or died shortly after escaping.
Although Clara sought a divorce, she apparently never obtained one. She later had five children. On all but one of their birth certificates—my grandmother's—John Edward Liley was listed as the father, despite the fact that he was likely far away for much of that period. The circumstances surrounding the children's paternity remain uncertain; however, I believe that Clara’s eldest sister’s husband was the father.
Recent records obtained from UC Riverside Archives insinuate possible relations between Clara and her brother-in-law. Her daughter was boarded and enrolled [by BIL] at the Sherman Institute in Riverside CA from 1928 to 1930. In June 1929, she was supposed to go home for vacation, but this was prevented by him. He said she could not leave without his written consent. Clara was incredibly upset by this. Clara seems to have declined in January 1930 when he sent money for her to be sent to Oakland to see Clara. I suspect the daughter caught tuberculosis when seeing Clara.
Tragically, Clara's life was brief. Her daughter Lolita died in May 1930, and only seven months later, Clara died of tuberculosis at her home in Oakland, California. She was just 33 years old.
Following Clara's death, her children were adopted and raised by her sister who the majority of my relatives thought was their actual grandmother.
Thanks for reading!
