triple murder in Unadilla NY

[Mary 1961]

My step son said the other day, " nothing bad ever happens in Unadilla" I told him that around 1978 or 1979 there was 3 men murdered outside the Bishop Hotel now torn down. I wanted to show him news paper articles and such but I find nothing on the inter net. Does anyone have information on this event that took place in Unadilla ?

[Gwyneth]

I remember this. Very said. I would go directly to the Oneonta Daily News web site and search in their archives. The NY Times also had an article on it. Undailla was portrayed very negatively. Something about pickups, guns and women in rollers...

[Waltonian]

Truth hurts.....women in rollers are trash! You never leave home with rollers in your hair...guttersnipes.

[Mary 1961]

The Daily Star archives only go back to 1999
will try the NY Newspapers.

[UnadillaLibrary]

The Local Library
Keep Archive Copies of Papers going back to the 1800's
It may take a little bit of time to research (great learning experience for your son to read through the old papers).

[Linda]

There was also a murder-suicide there in the 90's.... a love triangle thing.. But Unadilla IS a nice place to live...... and very safe...... these things can happen in any town.....at any time...

[Linda]

Hey...if the "Waltonian" means that you are from Walton....or have a place over there.....then you know all about "trashy" women.....

[Bob]

The part that I remember the best was the third guy that got shot. He had fled the hotel and thought he was home-free in his car. He turned the ignition only to hear the starter slowly die. It was winter and the battery died. Seconds later, the shooter emerged from the building and caught him still trying to start the car. The standing joke of the time was "Gee, if the guy only had a 'die-hard' battery, he'd still be alive."

Yeah, the whole thing was pretty sad. I have often wondered if the shooter is out of prison yet, I don't even remember his name. As I recall, he wasn't really a bad guy. Cecil George, from what I heard, had pushed him over the edge until he just snapped and shot them.

[Jennifer]

Check the library they have books on the towns history.

[fyrfighter12000]

Mary 1961 wrote:

My step son said the other day, " nothing bad ever happens in Unadilla" I told him that around 1978 or 1979 there was 3 men murdered outside the Bishop Hotel now torn down. I wanted to show him news paper articles and such but I find nothing on the inter net. Does anyone have information on this event that took place in Unadilla ?

yes i can ..i was there and two of the deceased were close friends!...marvin and cecil george were very good friends and yes bad things can happen anyplace!..this triple murder was over a card game and the deceased were the winners of the game and the guy lost a pink slip to a motor cycle and then thought the guys cheated him..went home and got a shotgun and come back to kill the three!

[fyrfighter12000]

yes i can ..i was there and two of the deceased were close friends!...marvin and cecil george were very good friends and yes bad things can happen anyplace!..this triple murder was over a card game and the deceased were the winners of the game and the guy lost a pink slip to a motor cycle and then thought the guys cheated him..went home and got a shotgun and come back to kill the three

[soapy]

The shooters name was Ben Johnson.Cecil and Marvin were friends of mine too. Actually, nice guys, but could be wiseasses. Skip somebody was the third one killed. He was a friend of my husbands.

This was a sad thing...I dont know what ever became of Benny. It was a long time ago.

[anonymous]

Search "Ben Johnson" (shooter). Still in jail, has been denied bail several times. Oneonta State College Library has a tremendous amount of old news on microfilm, etc. You may be able to find something there.