Wineville Chicken Coop Murders: The Twisted 1920s True Crime Story
The dark history of Gordon Northcott's 1920s California ranch, a shocking family dynamic, and an LAPD cover-up.
No discussion of disturbing crimes in American history is complete without the Wineville Chicken Coop murders. Canadian immigrant Gordon Stewart Northcott ran a ranch in Wineville, California. Then, between 1926 and 1928, he used that property to abuse, abduct, and torture young boys.
The Discovery and Flight
In August 1928, Sanford Clark finally told his sister Jessie what had been happening at the ranch. Horrified, she alerted authorities. Northcott, however, managed to escape.
Together, he and his mom, Sarah Louise Northcott, fled to Canada, per Alchetron. But authorities caught them both in September 1928.
Gordon Stewart Northcott: The Trial & Execution
Eventually, prosecutors convicted Gordon Northcott of three counts of first-degree murder. The victims: 12-year-old Lewis Winslow, 10-year-old Nelson Winslow, and an unidentified child known incourt records as the “Headless Mexican.”
Overall, Gordon confessed to nine murders, then hinted the number might reach 20. Unfortunately, police lacked evidence for more convictions.
He died by hanging at San Quentin on October 2, 1930. However, the drop didn’t snap his neck. Instead, he strangled for nearly fourteen minutes as witnesses watched.
Sarah Louise Northcott: The Bloodthirsty Mother
Sarah Louise Northcott confessed to participating in the murder of Walter Collins and was convicted after pleading guilty.
She confessed to killing Walter Collins, a high-profile missing child. Apparently, she delivered the fatal blows to several boys and helped bury them.
Because she confessed, she avoided execution. Instead, the court gave her life in prison. She received parole in 1940 and died in 1944, as explained on the Find a Grave website.
A Dysfunctional Family
The trial revealed the family’s allegedly odd dynamic. For example, Gordon blamed his father, George Cyrus Northcott, for sexually abusing him from age ten. Plus, he also claimed his mother forced him into girls’ clothing and made him play with dolls well into his teen years.
Then, surprisingly, Sarah testified that Gordon wasn’t her biological son. Instead, she claimed he was born from an incestuous relationship between her husband and their daughter. Most historians, however, believe she invented this story to help Gordon escape execution.
Modern DNA testing could have settled the question quickly. But naturally, that still doesn’t explain why the abuse turned into the Chicken Coop murders.
Erasing the Stigma and the LAPD Cover-Up
The crimes, naturally, destroyed the town’s reputation. So in November of 1930, Wineville officially changed its name to Mira Loma. Now, only a few street names, like Wineville Avenue, remain.
Meanwhile, Christine Collins insisted the boy the LAPD returned to her was not her son, Walter. Police officer Jones didn’t accept her story. Instead, he pulled a “Code 12” order and had Collins committed to the psych ward of Los Angeles County Hospital.
That decision would later rank as one of the case’s most controversial moments.
Books & Movies
Movies and books subsequently arrived. Sanford Clark had been forcibly involved in the disposal of bodies and also suffered abuse at the hands of the Northcott family. He wasn’t charged.
Today, many readers would likely view Sanford as a victim who was coerced and terrorized by the adults around him.
CBS News reminded people that a book called The Road Out of Hell, by Anthony Flacco, arrived, and it focused on Sanford. The book followed his ordeal and his journey toward healing after the crimes were exposed.
The case later inspired the 2008 film Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Angelina Jolie as Christine Collins. The film focused on the LAPD’s handling of the disappearance and Collins’ wrongful institutionalization.
Viewers React
When The 1920s Channel on YouTube covered the Wineville Chicken Coop murders, true crime fans leaned into the story of Christine with empathy, and described deep emotion reading about Sanford Clark. Nobody mourned the painful passing of Gordon Northcott.
One person wrote, “That was just so horrible what that Police Chief did by sending the mother to an asylum. Just because she said that the boy wasn’t hers. SMH.”
Here are few other responses from the discusssion:
- I read the book Road out of Hell. The horrific things that Sanford Clark had to go through was beyond insane. I cried so much my husband was literally concerned about me.
- The way that Mrs. Collins was treated is just horrible. Northcott was a monster and hopefully is burning in hell for what he did to all of those boys.
- My first job was in Wineville. The ranch to this day still stands. It has been extended but the small house is out back
One viewer noted a few minor errors in the video, and usefully pointed folks to The Road Out Of Hell, for a more accurate insight into the events about the family of Sanford.
What are your thoughts about the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your dark crimes from history and other interesting stories.
